Last week, Diabetes, Endocrinology & Lipidology Center Inc. (DELC) of West Virginia reached a $5,000 settlement with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) over  allegations that it failed to provide timely access to a patient’s health records.   The OCR alleged that DELC waited more than two years to send a minor’s medical records to their parent, and the records were sent only after the OCR opened an investigation in response to the parent’s complaint. This alleged failure to provide timely access was a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA requires health care providers to respond to a patient’s request for access to health records within 30 days.

This is the 19th settlement for alleged right-of-access violations.

In addition to the $5,000 payment, DELC has agreed to implement a corrective action plan and submit to two years of monitoring.