The National Law Journal (2/3, Coyle) reported, “Both the House-passed economic stimulus bill and the proposed Senate version would give state attorneys general new enforcement authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts for violations of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)” and “the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform recently attacked the provisions in a letter to House and Senate leadership urging that the provisions be removed from both proposals.” ILR President Lisa A. Rickard said, “While the emergency economic stimulus package is aimed at turning our economy around and getting Americans back to work, the provision slipped into the House version and included in the Senate proposal is nothing more than a gift to the plaintiffs’ lawyers.” However, “a spokesman for the trial lawyers’ organization, the American Association for Justice, said, ‘AAJ did not lobby on this provision’ and indicated it was a surprise to the organization.”
From the American Association for Justice news release.
