How much can penalties reach for violations due to reasonable cause under HIPAA?

Under HIPAA, penalties for violations due to reasonable cause can reach up to $1,000 per violation. This is part of a tiered penalty structure that categorizes violations based on the level of culpability involved. The reasonable cause tier reflects situations where the covered entity or business associate did not know and, with reasonable diligence, would not have known that the act was a violation.

This tier aims to hold entities accountable without imposing the harshest penalties that apply in cases of willful neglect or intentional violations. The structured penalties encourage compliance by recognizing the difference in circumstances surrounding violations, ensuring that penalties are proportionate to the degree of negligence associated with the violation.

The other amounts referenced, such as $5,000, $100, or $10,000 per violation, relate to different levels of culpability under HIPAA's penalty framework, but those figures do not apply to violations categorized under reasonable cause.