How does the HIPAA Privacy Rule change the laws concerning consent for treatment?
The Privacy Rule relates to uses and disclosures of protected [...]
Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule require hospitals and doctors’ offices to be retrofitted, to provide private rooms, and soundproof walls to avoid any possibility that a conversation is overheard?
No, the Privacy Rule does not require these types of [...]
Does an individual have a right under the HIPAA Privacy Rule to restrict the protected health information his or her health care provider discloses for workers’ compensation purposes?
Individuals do not have a right under the Privacy Rule [...]
If I believe that my privacy rights have been violated, when can I submit a complaint?
By law, health care providers (including doctors and hospitals) who [...]
If patients request copies of their medical records as permitted by the Privacy Rule, are they required to pay for the copies?
The Privacy Rule permits the covered entity to impose reasonable, [...]
Can researchers continue to access existing databanks or repositories that are maintained by covered entities, even if those databases were created prior to the compliance date without patient permission or without a waiver of informed consent by an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
Yes. Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, covered entities may use [...]
Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule’s public health provision permit covered health care providers to disclose protected health information concerning the findings of pre-employment physicals, drug tests, or fitness-for-duty examinations to an individuals employer?
The public health provision permits covered health care providers to [...]
Is a covered entity permitted to disclose protected health information under the HIPAA Privacy Rule’s public health provision when the link between an averse event and a product regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is only suspected?
Yes. In most instances when a covered entity makes an [...]
To whom may covered entities make public health disclosures regarding a product regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when more than one person is identified on the product label?
Covered entities may identify persons responsible for an FDA-regulated product [...]
May covered entities disclose facially identifiable protected health information, such as name, address, and social security number, for public health purposes?
Yes. The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits covered entities to disclose [...]