SPOTLIGHT: Has HIPAA worked?


More than a decade ago, when Congress passed HIPAA, it was seen as a major victory for privacy advocates. Today, however, people have become disenchanted with the law, with few defendants being criminally prosecuted for HIPAA violations and medical record intrusions (such as the breach of Britney Spears's records) remain common. Critics say the government's current approach to HIPAA enforcement, which lets providers correct many violations, may just be too lax. HIPAA article