Consequences for HIPAA violations can often be quite harsh. If someone has breached the HIPAA privacy regulations – even without any malicious intent, civil penalties are applicable: $100 per violation for unawareness, a minimum of $1,000 for reasonable cause, a minimum of $10,000 if willful neglect is present and then rectified, and finally, a minimum of $50,000 for individuals who act with willful neglect and ignore the issue.
| Digital ExclusiveCalifornia Legislator Becomes 42nd Co-Sponsor for HR 818
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA, 46th district) has become the 42nd co-sponsor of HR 818, the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act of 2005. A five-time co-sponsor of the act from previous sessions of Congress, Rep. Rohrabacher is the 12th member of California's congressional delegation to co-sponsor H.R. 818.
Rep. Rohrabacher is also one of the most outspoken advocates of acupuncture in Congress. On June 24, 2003, in a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rohrabacher referred to several forms of healing, including acupuncture. "The American people need to have these available to them, these and other vehicles, for a good, healthy life." Rep. Rohrabacher's reference to acupuncture was also published in The Congressional Record.
For more information on the status of the Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act, visit http://thomas.loc.gov, and enter "HR 818" in the "Search Bill Text" box.