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Smaller Providers & Small Businesses FAQs

Topics on this page:

Health Care Operation Issues
Business Operation Issues
Sharing Protected Health Information
Compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule
Group Health Plans
Public Health Reporting

Health Care Operation Issues

As a pediatrician, am I required to give my notice of privacy practices to the children I treat?
May an ambulance crew report to the hospital the patient’s condition and the treatment provided?
Are appointment reminders allowed under the HIPAA Privacy Rule without authorizations?
Can a physician’s office FAX patient medical information to another physician’s office?
May physicians offices use patient sign-in sheets or call out the names of their patients in their waiting rooms?
May physician's offices or pharmacists leave messages for patients at their homes, either on an answering machine or with a family member, to remind them of appointments or to inform them that a prescription is ready? May providers continue to mail appointment or prescription refill reminders to patients' homes?

Business Operation Issues

Sharing Protected Health Information

Compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule

Group Health Plans

Can a group health plan, or health insurance issuer with respect to a group health plan, disclose to the plan sponsor the protected health information (PHI) required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the retiree drug subsidy, without obtaining the individual’s authorization?

Public Health Reporting

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?