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 ExclusiveJohn Rybak, DAc
Dr. John Rybak is the medical director and acupuncturist at The WellBridge Clinic in Portland, Ore. (www.wellbridgeclinic.com). He spent seven years working on health care policy and advocating for the acupuncture profession at the Oregon Acupuncturists Association; has served as a faculty member of the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine; and recently gave a TEDx talk at the University of California, Davis on the science of acupuncture.