How can I distinguish between activities for treatment or health care operations versus marketing activities?
The overlap among common usages of the terms “treatment,” “healthcare [...]
May a covered entity that is a plaintiff or defendant in a legal proceeding use or disclose protected health information for the litigation?
Yes. Where a covered entity is a party to a [...]
May mental health practitioners or other specialists provide therapy to patients in a group setting where other patients and family members are present?
Yes. Disclosures of protected health information in a group therapy [...]
Is a health information organization (HIO) covered by the HIPAA Privacy Rule?
Generally, no. The HIPAA Privacy Rule applies to health plans, [...]
Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule limit what a doctor can do with a family medical history?
Yes, if the doctor is a “covered entity” under the [...]
Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, may a health care provider disclose protected health information about an individual to another provider, when such information is requested for the treatment of a family member of the individual?
Yes. The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits a covered health care [...]
Can a patient have a friend or family member pick up a prescription for her?
Yes. A pharmacist may use professional judgment and experience with [...]
Are location information services of collection agencies, which are required under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, permitted under the HIPAA Privacy Rule?
“Payment” is broadly defined as activities by health plans or [...]
Must a covered health care provider obtain an individual’s authorization to use or disclose protected health information to an interpreter?
No, when a covered health care provider uses an interpreter [...]
When may a covered health care provider disclose protected health information, without an authorization or business associate agreement, to a medical device company representative?
In general, and as explained below, the Privacy Rule permits [...]