IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

SOUTHERN DIVISION

CHRISTINE BENNETT, )

)

Plaintiff, )

)

v. ) CIVIL ACTION NO. 1:06cv723-MHT

)

ARMY FLEET SUPPORT LLC, )

)

Defendant. )

ORDER

Now pending before the court is the defendant’s motion for a HIPAA discovery order

(doc. # 26) filed on March 14, 2007. Upon consideration of the motion, and for good cause,

it is

ORDERED that the motion for a discovery order (doc. # 26) be and is hereby

GRANTED. It is further

ORDERED that upon compliance with applicable law, the attorneys for the defendant

to this lawsuit are permitted to obtain all health information relating to Christine Bennett

from the doctors identified by the plaintiff in response to the defendant’s interrogatory

number 5 and their respective medical groups attached to the motion for a discovery order.

This order neither broadens nor restricts any party’s ability to conduct discovery pursuant to

applicable law, the sole purpose of this order being only to permit compliance with the

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Pub.L. No. 104-191, § 247,

110 Stat.1936, 2018 (1996) (HIPAA).

Any third-party who is provided with a subpoena requesting the production of

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documents or commanding attendance at deposition or trial is authorized to disclose

Protected Health Information in response to such request or subpoena. This order is intended

to authorize such disclosures as provided under 45 C.F.R. §164.512(e)(1).

Nothing in this order shall be deemed to relieve any party or attorney of the

requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Nothing in this order permits

disclosure of confidential communications, made for the purposes of diagnosis or treatment

of a patient’s mental or emotional condition, including alcohol or drug addiction, among the

patient, the patient’s psychotherapist, and persons who are participating in the diagnosis or

treatment under the direction of the psychotherapist, including members of the patient’s

family, nor does this order permit disclosure of records or information relating to HIV testing

or sexually transmitted disease.

Nothing in this order shall be construed to authorize any party or any attorney for any

party to release, exchange, submit or share any Protected Health Information with any other

person or any other entity, other than an agent or employee of the attorney or party. This

order prohibits the parties from using or disclosing the Protected Health Information for any

purpose other than this litigation or proceeding. It is further

ORDERED that at the conclusion of this action and at the written request of an

individual whose Protected Health Information has been disclosed, or such individual’s

authorized representative, all recipients of the Protected Health Information shall return to

the requesting party or destroy the documents and all copies thereof containing Protective

Health Information received by them pursuant to this order, except that Protected Health

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Information, which is included in insurance claim files and law firm litigation files, may be

retained to allow compliance to the extent and for the period that such retention is required

by applicable state insurance laws and the Alabama State Bar rules and regulations.

Done this 16th day of March, 2007.

 /s/Charles S. Coody 

CHARLES S. COODY

CHIEF UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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