Indiana A.G. Sues Hospital System Over Privateness Of Ohio Lady Who Traveled For Abortion

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s legal professional normal has sued the state’s largest hospital system, claiming it violated affected person privateness legal guidelines when a physician publicly shared the story of an Ohio woman who traveled to Indiana for an abortion.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Indianapolis federal courtroom, marked Lawyer Normal Todd Rokita’s newest try to hunt disciplinary authorized motion in opposition to Dr. Caitlin Bernard. The physician’s account of a 10-year-old rape sufferer touring to Indiana to obtain abortion medicine grew to become a flashpoint within the abortion debate days after the U.S. Supreme Court docket overturned Roe v. Wade final summer season.

Rokita, a Republican, is stridently anti-abortion and Indiana was the primary state to approve abortion restrictions after the courtroom’s choice. The near-total abortion ban lately took impact after authorized battles.

“Neither the 10-year-old nor her mom gave the physician authorization to talk to the media about their case,” the lawsuit said. “Reasonably than defending the affected person, the hospital selected to guard the physician, and itself.”

The lawsuit named Indiana College Well being and IU Healthcare Associates. It alleged the hospital system violated HIPPA, the federal Well being Insurance coverage Portability and Accountability Act, and a state regulation for not defending the affected person’s data.

Indiana’s medical licensing board reprimanded Bernard in Could, saying she didn’t abide by privateness legal guidelines by speaking publicly in regards to the woman’s therapy. It was far wanting the medical license suspension that Rokita’s workplace sought.

Nonetheless, the board’s choice obtained widespread criticism from medical teams and others who referred to as it a transfer to intimidate docs.

Hospital system officers have argued that Bernard didn’t violate privateness legal guidelines.

“We proceed to be upset the Indiana Lawyer Normal’s workplace persists in placing the state’s restricted assets towards this matter,” IU Well being mentioned in an announcement. “We’ll reply on to the AG’s workplace on the submitting.”

In July, a 28-year-old man was sentenced to life in jail for the kid’s rape.