Let's assume that you are the multi-million dollar Orlando Regional Healthcare System Inc and that I am a former "flesh-eating bacteria" patient.
Let's further assume that I'm a greedy SOB.
If you release my medical information with my name crossed out, how long do you think it will take before my blood-sucking lawyer is claiming that there was enough information on that record to individually identify me as a "flesh-eating bacteria" patient thereby violating my HIPAA civil rights and causing me untold embarrassment, nightmares, nervous incapacitation, loss of libido, , etc., etc., etc.?
She already has a lawyer so filing a lawsuit is just a little bit more paperwork.
Once a lawsuit is filed, any release of information during discovery is by Court order so the corporation can no longer be held liable for release of that information.
The corporation is specifically asking to be sued with one lawsuit to avoid several additional potential lawsuits and the wrath of the HIPAA Police.