Raleigh (N.C.) Orthopaedic Clinic agreed to pay a $750,000 settlement regarding an alleged HIPAA violation, according to the HHS.
Here are five things to know:
1. The clinic handed over protected health information for around 17,300 patients to a potential business partner without entering into a business associate agreement.
2. According to the HHS' Office for Civil Rights, the clinic handed over X-ray films and related protected health information of the patients to the business partner. The business partner planned to "transfer images to electronic media in exchange for harvesting the silver from the X-ray films."
3. HIPAA-covered entities cannot disclose protected health information to unauthorized persons.
4. Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic is required to revise its policies and procedures related to this incident in addition to paying the $750,000 settlement.
5. Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic includes four locations in North Carolina.