First Lawsuit By State AG Under HITECH

Let the age of HIPAA lawsuits begin.  Yesterday, the Connecticut Attorney General sued Health Net of Connecticut, Inc. for a security breach involving patient medical and financial records.  This is the first state enforcement action against a covered entity for a HIPAA violation since HITECH extended enforcement ability to the state attorneys general.  It serves as a good reminder that covered entities and business associates need to have breach notification policies in place and comply with those policies in the event of a security breach.