The Indiana Attorney General sued Indiana University Health, the state’s largest hospital system, claiming it violated patient privacy laws in the case of a 10-year-old Ohio girl who received an abortion in Indiana. Attorney General Todd Rokita has taken repeated legal actions targeting the doctor who discussed the girl’s case publicly. The lawsuit says the hospital prioritized protecting the doctor over patient privacy. It alleges the hospital violated both HIPAA and an Indiana law by not keeping the girl’s information private. While the medical board reprimanded the doctor for not following privacy protocols, Rokita had sought a suspension of her license. The hospital argues the doctor did not break any laws. Notably, a 28-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison for raping the 10-year-old girl, highlighting the severity of the situation that sparked the national abortion debate.
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The lawsuit, filed Friday in Indianapolis federal court, marked Attorney General Todd Rokita’s latest attempt to seek disciplinary legal action against Dr. Caitlin Bernard.
Rokita, a Republican, is stridently anti-abortion and Indiana was the first state to approve abortion restrictions after the court’s decision.
It alleged the hospital system violated HIPAA, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and a state law for not protecting the patient’s information.
Indiana’s medical licensing board reprimanded Bernard in May, saying she didn’t abide by privacy laws by talking publicly about the girl’s treatment.
Still, the board’s decision received widespread criticism from medical groups and others who called it a move to intimidate doctors.
“We continue to be disappointed the Indiana Attorney General’s office persists in putting the state’s limited resources toward this matter,” IU Health said in a statement.
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