What is the lowest potential federal civil monetary penalty for a HIPAA violation?

The lowest potential federal civil monetary penalty for a HIPAA violation is indeed $100. Under the HIPAA enforcement regulations, penalties for violations are tiered based on the level of culpability, which includes factors such as whether the violation was due to willful neglect and whether it was corrected.

The first tier of penalties applies to violations that do not involve willful neglect and that have been corrected within 30 days of the date the covered entity knew or should have known of the violation. For these types of violations, the penalty can be as low as $100 per violation, making it the minimum amount for civil monetary penalties in such cases.

This tiered penalty structure reflects a graduated approach to enforcement, emphasizing compliance and correction while still holding entities accountable for breaches of HIPAA regulations. The other amounts listed, such as $50,000 or the higher caps, pertain to more severe violations or those related to willful neglect or failure to address known issues.