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 ExclusiveIsabella Gucci-Ruffalo, MSAOM, LAc
Isabella Gucci-Ruffalo is an acupuncturist, holistic nutritionist and clinical qi gong practitioner. In addition to obtaining a master's degree in Chinese medicine, she is one of the few physicians in the world trained through a traditional apprenticeship under a Taoist qi gong master. She teaches qi gong  and natural healing retreats, and is an author for various publications.