The Diabetes, Endocrinology & Lipidology Center has agreed to pay $5,000 in a settlement to HHS' Office for Civil Rights for a potential HIPAA violation.
In a June 2 news release, HHS said it settled the violation review after nearly three years of investigating the Martinsburg, W.Va., medical center for failing to comply with HIPAA regulations.
Four details:
- In August 2019, a complaint was filed with OCR alleging the center failed to provide medical records in a timely manner. A parent made a request in July 2019 for a copy of her minor child's records. OCR launched an investigation and determined the center failed to provide timely access to the requested medical records — a potential violation of HIPAA.
- As a result of OCR's investigation, the center provided the requested records in May 2021 — nearly two years after the parent's request.
- "It should not take a federal investigation before a HIPAA-covered entity provides a parent with access to their child's medical records," said Robinsue Frohboese, acting OCR director. "Covered entities owe it to their patients to provide timely access to medical records."
- In addition to the $5,000 settlement, the medical center has agreed to participate in a corrective action plan and two years of monitoring.