Judge: Suit on patient’s privacy claims belongs in federal court

By Patricia Manson Law Bulletin staff writer

Posted January 13, 2017 2:37 PM

A lawsuit accusing a doctor and an insurance company of mishandling a patient’s confidential information belongs in federal court, a federal judge held Thursday.In a written opinion, U.S. District Judge Robert W. Gettleman conceded Jane Doe alleged only violations of Illinois law in her suit over the disclosure and retention of such information as her Social Security number and her HIV/AIDS status.But the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, pre-empts Doe’s state law claims against Aetna …

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