OCR has announced a settlement with David Mente, MA, LPC (“Mente”), a licensed counselor providing psychotherapy services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, concerning a potential violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule's right of access provision. The rule requires that patients be able to access their health information in a timely manner. This investigation marks the 44th case to be resolved under OCR’s HIPAA Right of Access Initiative, designed to improve compliance by regulated entities with the law. Under the resolution agreement (RA), Mente must respond to the right of access request without delay, implement a corrective action plan (CAP) to be in compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule and pay a resolution amount of $15,000: