EX PARTE CONTACTS WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND HIPAA (11-06)

In Crenshaw v. Mony Life Insurance Company (S.D. Cal. 2004) 318 F. Supp.2d 1015, the United States District Court analyzed the propriety of ex parte contacts with health care providers under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)(42 U.S.C. section 1320d, et seq.). The court reviewed applicable case law pertaining to such contacts, as well as HIPAA, in determining that federal law mandates formal civil discovery methods be followed in order to communicate ex parte with health care providers.

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