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Update: Courts Still Split on HIPAA and Ex Parte Physician Interviews

By James R. Moncus III
January 27, 2011

As medical malpractice attorneys universally acknowledge, treating physicians often play an important role in the life of a medical malpractice lawsuit. Their testimony is often vital to the success or failure of medical malpractice claims.

Early last year, we discussed in this publication three decisions from lower courts that had the potential to greatly impact and shape the emerging landscape of the HIPAA ex parte interview debate. “Dissecting the Latest Pronouncements on Ex Parte Physician Interviews,” Moncus, J., Medical Malpractice Law & Strategy, April 2010. As of fall 2010, two states' high courts had weighed in on the issue; moreover, the ex parte interview issue was the only issue on appeal in both decisions. (The other case we reported last year, the federal district court decision out of Kansas, Pratt v. Petelin, 2010 WL 446474 (D. Kan. Feb. 4, 2010), was not appealed and is thus not further discussed herein.) While these two state supreme court decisions are widely disparate in their conclusions, together they have significantly narrowed the field of inquiry by focusing on a few key aspects of HIPAA. This article explores both the underpinnings and potential impact of these important rulings.

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