An Arizona Cardiac Surgery Practice Agreed to Pay the U

An Arizona cardiac surgery practice agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a $100,000 settlement following an investigation of potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. The practice posted clinical and surgical appointments for its patients on an Internet-based calendar that was publicly accessible, which drew complaints for failing to protect health information of consumers. HIPAA rules are an example of ________ forces in the marketing environment.

A) economic
B) ecological
C) technological
D) social
E) regulatory