Fast Facts for June 2, 2021
After that last video it’s become painfully obvious to me that I need to explain HIPAA. Because obviously, lots of you are *very* confused about what it is and what rights you actually have under it.
First – let’s make it clear.
It’s HIPAA. H-I-P-A-A — the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Signed into law in 1996.
According to the department of Health and Human Services —
This law protects your right to see your own medical records (though sometimes not all), it gives you the right to request corrections on items in your medical record, to know when your medical information is being used and shared, and can stop your medical provider from sharing your information with certain entities without your permission …among other things. This is important — this law only applies to health plans, most health care providers, and health care clearinghouses….and that’s all.
Here’s what HIPAA doesn’t do. It does *not* prevent your employer, your kids’ school, many state agencies, most law enforcement agencies, life insurers and work comp carriers – to name a few — from requiring your medical records as a prerequisite. It also does not protect your medical information from being shared with your local or state health department if you have tested positive for diseases or illnesses, like s-t-ds, the flu or covid19.
And it most certainly does *not* prevent any private company, or agency from asking about your medical information. You can obviously decline to answer – but there are consequences for that like not being able to enter a store or not be hired for a job or not being allowed in a public school. There is nothing in HIPAA that bars asking people about their health — including vaccination status — or requiring proof that the information is accurate.
The only thing HIPAA prevents is your medical provider giving your medical information to certain outside entities without your permission. That’s all.
Now – every state governs how far private companies, schools and businesses can push this. So check with your state laws.
To easily understand the rules under HIPAA – go to hhs.gov/hipaa
