Buckle your seat belts: HHS has issued an interim final rule, with request for comments, on rules that will tighten up HIPAA enforcement. Thanks to the enactment of the HITECH Act, HHS has more authority to impose penalties for violations taking place after February 18, 2009. And it plans to use that power. For example, in the past, it could demand a maximum of only $25,000 for all identical violations of the same provision. Now, the agency plans to impose penalties up to $1.5 million for identical violations. Article