On Thursday, the HHS Office for Civil Rights announced a settlement with a Florida primary care practice over a violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule’s right of access provision. This marks the 42nd case under the Right of Access Initiative to date and the second settlement this week. 

All the way back in mid-2019, a daughter, serving as personal representative, was attempting to retrieve her deceased father’s records. After multiple attempts, the practice failed to provide timely access. HIPAA’s right of access standard requires a covered entity to take action on an access request within 30 days of receipt. The practice exceeded that allotted time; the daughter received all requested records nearly five months after the initial request. 

OCR Director, Melanie Fontes Rainer, stated, “The right of patients to access their health information is one of the cornerstones of HIPAA, and one that OCR takes seriously.” 

The FL primary care practice has since paid its $20,000 fine to the OCR and is working to implement a Corrective Action Plan. The plan will be closely monitored over the next two years and includes updating, distributing, and training on all applicable policies and procedures. 

In the age of immediacy, there is no exception when it comes to patient record requests. When a patient requests access to their records, prioritize their request. You have 30 days to take action or you could face not only an OCR investigation but a big fine – one we bet is not worth rearranging your priorities to put the patient first.