North Carolina dental practice Dr. U. Phillip Igbinadolor, D.M.D. & Associates was ordered by HHS' Office for Civil Rights to pay a $50,000 civil money penalty after disclosing a patient's protected health information on a webpage in response to a negative online review, according to a March 28 HHS press release.
The practice has offices in both Charlotte and Monroe.
The patient visited Dr. U. Phillip Igbinadolor, D.M.D. & Associates for dental treatment in October 2013 and March 2014. The patient posted a negative review of the practice on the office's Google page under a pseudonym on Sept. 28, 2015. On the same day, Dr. U. Phillip Igbinadolor, D.M.D. & Associates responded to the comment and disclosed the patient's name and protected health information, according to the HHS Notice of Proposed Determination.
The patient filed a complaint on Nov. 15, 2015, with the Office for Civil Rights alleging that Dr. U. Phillip Igbinadolor, D.M.D. & Associates had violated HIPAA Privacy Rule by disclosing his protected health information, according to the HHS Notice of Proposed Determination.
The practice failed to respond to the Office for Civil Rights' data request, did not respond or object to an administrative subpoena, and waived its rights to a hearing by not contesting the findings in the Office for Civil Rights' Notice of Proposed Determination, resulting in the $50,000 civil money penalty, according to the HHS press release.