Arr, th' Indiana AG be suin' th' ship hospital fer spyin' on a lass who sailed from Ohio fer an abortin'!
2023-09-18
Arr, me hearties! 'Tis said that this scallywag, Indiana Attorney General Rodd Rokita, be accusin' these landlubber doctors o' transgressin' the sacred HIPPA laws, spillin' the beans 'bout a wee lassie's jaunt from Ohio to Indiana for an abortion. Methinks it be time to set sail and batten down the hatches!
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit against the largest hospital in his state, accusing it of breaching a patient's privacy by leaking information that a 10-year-old girl had traveled across state lines for an abortion. The lawsuit, filed by Rokita, a Republican, alleges that Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the doctor who performed the abortion, wrongfully disclosed the girl's identity without authorization from her or her mother. Rokita claims that instead of protecting the patient, the hospital chose to protect the doctor and itself. The lawsuit names Indiana University Health and IU Healthcare Associates, stating that they violated HIPPA laws.A board in Indiana recently reprimanded Dr. Bernard for performing the abortion and sharing information about it with the media. The board fined her $3,000 for violating privacy laws but rejected the attorney general's request to suspend her license. Dr. Bernard defended her actions, stating that she followed Indiana's reporting requirements and that she had notified hospital social workers about the child abuse and the ongoing investigation by Ohio authorities into the girl's rape.
During the hearing, board members questioned Dr. Bernard about why she specifically went to a reporter with the information. She explained that she believed it was important for people to understand the real-world impact of abortion laws and the hurdles patients have to face. She argued that hypothetical scenarios do not convey the true consequences. Fox News' Lawrence Richard and the Associated Press contributed to this report.