Protecting
Health Information Privacy and Complying with Federal Regulations
A Resource Guide for HIV Services Providers and
the Health Resources and Services Administrations
HIV/AIDS Bureau Staff
April
2004
HIV/AIDS Bureau
April 2004
Dear Colleague:
The Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), enacted on August 21, 1996,
impacts all areas of the health care industry. HIPAA was designed to provide
insurance portability, improve the efficiency of health care by standardizing
the exchange of administrative and financial data, and protect the privacy,
confidentiality and security of health care information. The Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA) and the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) recognize
the importance of these provisions for its grantees and service providers
by publishing the enclosed resource guide entitled "Protecting Health
Information Privacy and Complying with Federal Regulations".
One part of HIPAA
establishes new Federal Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable
Health Information (hereafter, referred to as the Privacy Rule), which
requires compliance by health care providers to assure patient confidentiality
and other patient rights are in place. In April 2003, most entities subject
to the new Privacy Rule were required to be compliant with the rule. The
Privacy Rule establishes new responsibilities and requirements for certain
individuals and organizations when they use or disclose certain individually
identifiable health information.
The HRSA and HAB
developed the enclosed resource guide to assist Ryan White Comprehensive
AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act grantees, who are defined as "covered
entities" under HIPAA, to comply with the Privacy Rule. This guide
has attempted to highlight provisions of the Privacy Rule that are especially
relevant to CARE Act grantees.
Some provisions of
the Privacy Rule may be omitted. Reading this guide should not substitute
for reading the full text of the Privacy Rule. Grantees are encouraged
to obtain and read the complete text of the Privacy Rule. Although this
resource guide may be helpful in the implementation of the HIPAA Privacy
Rule in your facility, it should not be considered legal advice. In assessing
your responsibilities under the Privacy Rule, it may be necessary for
you to consult with legal counsel as you take steps for compliance.
We hope that this
document is able to provide some level of assistance to you, your sub-grantees
and contractors with the HIPAA Privacy Rule. If you have questions about
this letter, please contact your HAB Project Officer. Should you require
additional information about HIPAA, you can access HRSA's HIPAA web site
at: http://www.hrsa.gov/servicedelivery/hipaa.htm,
or for specific information about the Privacy Rule, you should access
the Office for Civil Rights web site at: www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/.
Sincerely,
/s/
Deborah Parham Hopson,
Ph.D., R.N.
RADM, USPHS
Association Administrator
Enclosure
This resource guide
is provided for Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE)
Act grantees and program staff in the Health Resources and Services Administration's
(HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) to help in understanding key aspects of the
medical Privacy Rule and to assist covered individuals or organizations
in complying with the Privacy Rule.
Introduction
On April 14, 2003,
most entities subject to the new Federal Standards for Privacy of Individually
Identifiable Health Information (hereafter, the Privacy Rule) were required
to be compliant with the rule. The Privacy Rule establishes new responsibilities
and requirements for certain individuals and organizations when they use
or disclose certain individually identifiable health information. The
Privacy Rule was adopted as required by the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and provides individuals with
new rights related to their own health information. HIPAA is a law that
established Federal requirements governing the group health insurance
market-including limiting the ability of health insurers to deny coverage
based on pre-existing condition exclusions. It also established a guaranteed
right of access to individual insurance coverage for certain persons who
lose access to group coverage.
Another aspect of
HIPAA is a group of provisions, collectively referred to as Administrative
Simplification. These provisions are intended to improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of the health care system by encouraging the development
of a health information system through the adoption of standards for electronic
transmission of certain health information. HIPAA provides for the establishment
of uniform standards for claims and other financial and administrative
transactions and requires the adoption of new privacy and security standards
for the handling of certain individually identifiable health information.
The Privacy Rule is a critical part of Administrative Simplification.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued or is developing
a series of regulations to implement the various Administrative Simplification
provisions of HIPAA; the Privacy Rule is just one part of this effort.
The Privacy Rule
became enforceable against health care providers that are covered by the
HIPAA Privacy Rule, many health plans, and health care clearinghouses
on April 14, 2003. Small health plans (those with annual receipts of $5
million or less) have an additional year, until April 14, 2004, to comply.
45 CFR §164.534. Collectively, these entities (health plans, health
care clearinghouses, and covered health care providers) are known as covered
entities. 45 CFR §160.103.
This guide has attempted
to highlight provisions of the Privacy Rule that are especially relevant
to Ryan White CARE Act grantees. Therefore, some provisions of the Privacy
Rule may be omitted. Reading this guide should not substitute for reading
the full text of the Privacy Rule. HAB and its grantees are encouraged
to obtain and read the complete text of the Privacy Rule.
This resource guide should not be considered legal advice. In assessing
their responsibilities under the Privacy Rule, it may be necessary for
covered entities to consult with legal counsel as they take steps to comply
with the Privacy Rule.
A compilation of
the provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule (as updated through April 2003),
HHS guidance, and other resources are available from the HHS Office for
Civil Rights (OCR), the agency that is responsible for the implementation
and civil enforcement of the Privacy Rule. This information is available
at: www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/
For historical information
and additional background information, as well as information about other
Administrative Simplification issues, the HHS Assistant Secretary for
Planning and
Evaluation (ASPE) maintains a HIPAA Administrative Simplification website.
This site can be found at:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/index.shtml
The HHS Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has responsibility for implementing
and enforcing the remaining HIPAA Administrative Simplification regulations,
including the security and transaction standards regulations. Additional
HIPAA Administrative Simplification information from CMS is available
at:
www.cms.gov/hipaa/hipaa2
KEY ISSUES
ADDRESSED IN THE RESOURCE GUIDE
The guide describes
the major provisions of the Privacy Rule and is organized around
answering nine fundamental questions:
1. Who is covered
by the Privacy Rule?
2. What information is covered by the Privacy Rule?
3. What rights do individuals have with regard to their own health
information?
4. What does the Privacy Rule require regarding uses and disclosures
of protected health information?
5. What disclosures are permitted without individual authorization?
6. How much information can be used and disclosed?
7. What is the impact of the Privacy Rule on information sharing
with, or reporting to the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)?
8. What steps must covered entities take to comply with the Privacy
Rule?
9. How is the Privacy Rule enforced?
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1. Who is covered
by the Privacy Rule?
The Privacy Rule applies to all health plans and health care clearinghouses.
It also applies to health care providers who transmit health information
in electronic form in connection with specified financial and administrative
transactions (such as claims for payment). Individuals and organizations
that must comply with the Privacy Rule are collectively referred to as
covered entities. 45 CFR §160.103.
A health plan
generally includes any individual or group plan that provides or pays
for medical care. The term encompasses both private and governmental plans.
HMOs and certain high-risk pools are specifically covered. Most employee
health benefit plans are covered. However, employers who sponsor group
health plans are not covered entities under the Privacy Rule. [Government-funded
programs whose principal purpose is other than providing or paying the
cost of health care are not health plans.] Government-funded programs
that have as their principal activity the direct provision of health care,
the making of grants for the direct provision of health care, or the funding
of the direct provision of heath care are also not health plans, but they
may meet the definition of a health care provider.
Ryan White CARE Act
grantees are generally not health plans (unless they receive funding from
another source and meet the definition of a health plan). Ryan White CARE
Act grantees may be covered health care providers.
Under the Privacy
Rule, a health care clearinghouse is an entity that translates health
information received from other entities either to or from the standard
format that is required for certain electronic transactions. For instance,
a health care provider may submit claims information to a health care
clearinghouse to process that information into a standard format for submission
to a health plan.
The Privacy Rule
also covers health care providers who transmit health information in electronic
form in connection with transactions for which the Secretary has adopted
standards.
Health care providers
are covered entities if they meet a three-prong test (see next page).
Further, some individuals and organizations may be covered health care
providers who do not think of themselves as being health care providers.
The definitions of health care and health care providers in the Privacy
Rule are broad. For example, case managers may be covered health care
providers even if they do not provide direct medical care.
Many Ryan White
CARE Act grantees, for example, provide health care services and submit
electronic claims to Medicaid. Doing this makes an organization a covered
entity.
3- PART TEST FOR COVERED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
To determine whether
a health care provider is covered by the Privacy Rule, answer the
following questions:
1. Is the person
or organization considered a health care provider?
A health care provider
is any person or organization that furnishes, bills, or is paid for health
care in the normal course of business. Health care is broadly defined
by the Privacy Rule to include preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and
rehabilitative counseling services, assessments, and procedures with respect
to the physical or mental condition or functional status of an individual.
It also includes the sale or dispensing of drugs, devices, and equipment
with a prescription. Thus, the term health care provider, includes both
persons (such as dentists and podiatrists) and facilities (such as hospitals
and clinics). It includes mainstream practitioners (such as physicians,
nurses, and psychotherapists), as well as providers of alternative care
(such as homeopaths, acupuncturists, and naturopaths). The term health
care provider covers both the providers of care and services (such
as practitioners) and the providers of health supplies
(such as pharmacists and hearing aid dispensers).
2. Does the person
or organization conduct covered transactions?
To come within the
scope of the Privacy Rule, the health care provider must transmit health
information in connection with any of the transactions for which the Secretary
of HHS has adopted a standard. As of the date of this Guide, these include:
(A) Health claims
or equivalent encounter information;
(B) Enrollment and disenrollment in a health plan;
(C) Eligibility for a health plan;
(D) Health care payment and remittance advice;
(E) Health plan premium payments;
(F) Health claim status;
(G) Referral certification and authorization; and
(H) Coordination of benefits.
AND
3. Does the person
or organization transmit health information in electronic form in connection
with any of these transactions?
Does the person
or organization conduct any of the listed transactions using electronic
storage or transmission media (see 45 CFR §160.103 for the definition
of electronic media)? This would include, but not be limited to, the Internet,
an Intranet, a private network system, or transfer or storage using magnetic
tape or disk. Does the person or organization have someone else transmit
information electronically on its behalf? Any of these will bring the
provider within the Privacy Rule. If, however, the provider and its business
associates only transmit health information in connection with the covered
transactions listed above via paper facsimile or by voice via telephone,
the provider would not be covered because the provider would not have
transmitted any health information in electronic form in connection with
a covered transaction.
If the answers to Questions 1, 2 and 3 are all YES, then the provider
is a covered entity.
RECOMMENDED
ACTIONS
1) Obtain
a copy of the final version of the Privacy Rule. You can download
a free copy from the Office for Civil Rights at www.hhs.gov/ocr/combinedregtext.pdf.
2) Determine
if you or your organization is a covered entity. To make this determination,
view the online "Covered Entity Decision Tools" on the
Office for
Civil Rights website: www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa
or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website:
www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/support/tools/decisionsupport/default.asp
3) Appoint
an individual to take lead responsibility for assuring compliance
with the Privacy Rule.
4) Seek out
free online and other resources to become as fully informed as possible.
HHS' Office for Civil Rights has a number of resources available
at
www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa.
Covered entities whose operations are complex or that raise complicated
legal questions regarding how to comply may wish to consider
hiring a lawyer or consultant to help them assess their responsibilities
under the Privacy Rule.
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2. What information
is covered by the Privacy Rule?
Generally, the Privacy
Rule covers protected health information in any form that is transmitted
or maintained by a covered entity (i.e. oral, written, and electronic
information). 45 CFR §160.103.
The Privacy Rule protects the health information of both living and deceased
individuals. Education records covered by the Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1232g, are expressly excluded,
as are employment records.
Once an organization
or person becomes a covered entity, individually identifiable health information
that is created, maintained, or received by the covered entity is covered
by the Privacy Rule (with certain exceptions, as noted above) - including
paper records.
In most cases, covered
entities cannot segregate information by payer and comply with
the Privacy Rule for Medicaid clients, for example, and not comply with
the Privacy Rule for CARE Act-funded clients.
WHAT IS
PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION?
Protected health
information is individually identifiable health information transmitted
or maintained in any form or medium (including oral communications,
paper records, and electronic records) by covered entities or their
business associates. Education records and employment records are
not protected health information.
Key components
of the protected health information definition [45 CFR §160.103]
are:
1. Health
information
Health information is broadly defined as any oral or recorded information
relating to the past, present or future physical or mental health
of an individual, the provision of health care to the individual,
or the payment for health care. This definition is broad enough
to encompass not only the traditional medical record but also physicians'
personal notes and billing information.
2. Individually
identifiable
Individually identifiable health information is health information
that identifies or can be used, alone or in combination with other
information, to identify the individual. Health information that
has been de-identified is not covered by the Privacy Rule. A
covered entity may de-identify health information by removing specific
identifiers. To be considered de-identified, at least 18 identifiers
must be removed, such as name, social security number, medical record
number, and address. Further, the covered entity must have no actual
knowledge that the remaining information could be used to identify
the individual. Alternatively, a covered entity may treat information
as de-identified if a qualified statistician, using generally accepted
statistical and scientific principles,
determines that the risk is very small that the individual could
be identified.
3. Created
or received by a covered entity.
Most individually identified health information that is created
or received by, or on behalf of, a covered entity is protected under
the Privacy Rule. In contrast, health information that is created
or received by others who are not business associates of the covered
entity is not covered. For example, if an individual fills out a
health assessment survey as part of donating blood to a blood bank,
that information would not be protected by the Privacy Rule if the
blood bank is not a covered entity or the business associate of
a covered entity.
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RECOMMENDED
ACTIONS
- Carefully
read the definition of health information in the Privacy Rule.
- Do an assessment
of all information collected and maintained by you or your
organization. This includes any information your clients provide
to you, even if
you may not think it is related to health, including contact information,
billing, and
insurance information.
- Carefully
read the Privacy Rule provisions regarding de-identifying information.
Certain information, such as aggregate information about all of
your clients, may
not be individually identifiable. This information is not protected
health
information. Care is needed
information that has no name
or social security
number often is individually identifiable if it still can be used
alone or in
combination with other information to identify an individual who
is its subject.
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3.
What rights do individuals have with regard to their own health information?
The Privacy Rule gives individuals the right to control the use and disclosure
of their own health information, except as otherwise specifically permitted
or required by the Privacy Rule. The Privacy Rule also establishes new
rights for individuals with respect to their protected health information,
including the right of access to their protected health information, the
right to request amendment of their protected health information (such
as when they believe the record contains incorrect information), the right
to receive notice of a covered entity's privacy practices, the right to
request privacy protection for their protected health information, and
the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures. Each of these
rights to the individual and the responsibilities of the covered entities
are discussed in detail below.
For the most part,
the rights afforded by the Privacy Rule are exercised by the individual,
who is the person who is the subject of the protected health information.
In certain circumstances,
however, a personal representative must be treated as the individual,
and has the rights of the individual with respect to the individual's
health information. 45 CFR §164.502(g). In general, the Privacy Rule
provides that a person authorized under state or other law to act on behalf
of the individual in making health care decisions is the individual's
personal representative. Personal representatives can include parents,
guardians, executors of estates, and others. The Privacy Rule provisions
differ for personal representatives depending on whom they represent,
reflecting the differing circumstances that arise in the context of various
types of representation.
WHO EXERCISES
PRIVACY RIGHTS? - SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Adults and
emancipated minors
A person who
is authorized by applicable law to act on behalf of an adult or
emancipated
minor in making decisions related to health care generally must
be treated as the
personal representative of that individual. This includes court-appointed
guardians and
persons with powers of attorney. The authority of a personal representative
under this
rule may be limited: the representative must be treated as the individual
only to the extent
that protected health information is relevant to the matters on
which the personal
representative is authorized to represent the individual. For example,
a person who has a
power of attorney with respect to an individual's lung cancer treatment
probably would
not have the authority to access the individual's mental health
records. 45 CFR
§164.502(g)(2).
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Minors
Generally,
a parent (or legal guardian or other person acting in loco parentis)
is
considered to be the personal representative of an unemancipated
minor, and exercises the rights associated with the minor's health
information (such as the right to
authorize a disclosure or to request access to health information).
In certain
circumstances, however, an unemancipated minor may exercise rights
associated with his or her health information. The Privacy Rule
gives a minor rights with
respect to health information pertaining to a health care service
where:
-- A minor
authorized by law to consent to treatment has consented to care
(with
or without the consent of the parent);
-- A court
or other legally authorized person consents to the care; or
-- A parent
has assented to an agreement of confidentiality between a provider
and a minor with respect to the care.
In these circumstances,
the minor has the exclusive right to authorize the disclosure of
the related health information (with the possible exception of disclosures
to his or her
parents). The minor also has the right of access to this health
information.
The issue
of disclosure to, and access by, parents of a minor's health information
is more complicated, and is largely governed by state law. The Privacy
Rule allows covered entities to disclose a minor's health information
to a parent (or provide the parent with access to such information)
if such disclosure (or access) is permitted or required by state
law. Similarly, disclosure to (and access by) a parent is prohibited
where prohibited by state law. Where state law is silent or unclear
with respect to access by parents, the Privacy Rule permits a covered
entity to provide or deny access to the parent so long as that action
is consistent with state law and the decision is made by a licensed
health care professional in the exercise of professional judgment.
State parental
notification and consent to treatment laws are generally not affected
by the
Privacy Rule. 45 CFR §164.502(g)(3).
Victims of
domestic violence, abuse, or neglect
Notwithstanding
a conflict with state law or any of the provisions summarized in
this
block, a covered entity may elect not to disclose protected health
information to a
personal representative of an individual if the covered entity has
a reasonable belief that
the individual has been or may be subject to domestic violence,
abuse or neglect by such
person, and in certain other situations, and the covered entity
decides that it is not in the
individual's best interest to treat the person as the individual's
personal representative.
45 CFR §164.502(g)(5).
Deceased Individuals
If under applicable law an executor, administrator, or other person
has the authority to act
on behalf of a deceased individual, that personal representative
can exercise the rights of
the individual with respect to relevant protected health information.
45 CFR
§164.502(g)(4).
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Right of access
The Privacy Rule establishes a new Federal right for individuals to see
and obtain a copy of their protected health information in a designated
record set for as long as the covered entity maintains the information.
45 CFR §164.524. It also establishes deadlines for covered entities
to respond to requests for access and creates procedures for reviewing
denials of those requests.
In general, the covered
entity must allow the individual to inspect or obtain a copy of the protected
health information in a designated record set in the form or format requested
by the individual (if it is readily producible in such form or format)
no later than 30 days after receiving the request and up to 60 days for
information that is not on site. The deadline may be extended once up
to an additional 30 days if the covered entity is unable to respond within
30 days provided the covered entity explains to the individual the reasons
for the delay in writing. The covered entity can provide the individual
with a summary of the requested protected health information, if the individual
agrees in advance to the arrangement and the fees imposed, if any. The
covered entity can impose reasonable, cost-based fees (not including costs
of search and retrieval) for providing the individual a copy or summary
of his or her protected health information. If the covered entity does
not maintain the individual's protected health information, but knows
where the requested information is kept, the entity must let the individual
know where to direct his or her request for access.
DENYING
INDIVIDUALS ACCESS TO THEIR OWN INFORMATION - SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
A covered entity
may deny an individual access to all or part of his or her protected
health information in a designated record set without providing
the individual an opportunity for review of that denial in the following
circumstances [45 CFR §§164.524(a)(1) and (2)]:
-- Psychotherapy
notes (psychotherapy notes are notes recorded in any medium by a
mental
health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation
during a private
counseling session or a group, joint, or family counseling session,
and that are separated from
the rest of the individual's medical record);
-- Information
compiled in reasonable anticipation of or for use in a civil, criminal,
or administrative
action or proceeding;
-- Protected
health information maintained by a covered entity that is a laboratory
that is either subject to Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments
(CLIA) or exempt from CLIA regulations;
-- Information
requested by an inmate from a correctional institution or a covered
health care provider acting under the direction of the correctional
institution, if providing a copy to the inmate would jeopardize
the health, safety, security, custody, or rehabilitation of the
individual or other inmates, or the safety of any officer, employee,
or other person at the correctional
institution or persons responsible for transporting of the inmate;
-- Research that includes treatment - access may be suspended until
completion of the research,
provided the individual had agreed to the denial of access when
consenting to participate in
the research, and the covered health care provider has informed
the individual that the right of
access will be reinstated upon completion of the research;
-- If the requested
information is contained in records subject to the Privacy Act,
and denial of
access would meet the requirements of that Act; or
-- If the covered
entity obtained the information from someone other than a health
care provider
under a promise of confidentiality and access would reasonably likely
reveal the source of that
information.
In the following three circumstances, a covered entity may deny
an individual access to his or her protected health information,
but it must provide an opportunity for review of that denial [45
CFR §164.524(a)(3)]:
-- A licensed
health care professional, in the exercise of professional judgment,
determines that it
is reasonably likely that access to the requested information would
endanger the life or physical
safety of the individual or another person;
-- The requested
information makes references to another person other than a health
care
provider and the licensed health care professional, in the exercise
of professional judgment,
determines that access is reasonably likely to cause substantial
harm to that other person; or
-- The request
for access is made by the individual's personal representative,
and a licensed
health care professional, in the exercise of professional judgment,
determines that providing
access to that representative is reasonably likely to cause substantial
harm to the individual or
another person.
If the covered
entity denies an individual access to all or part of his or her
protected health information, it must give the individual a written
denial in plain language within 30 days or within 60 days if the
protected health information is not accessible on-site. The covered
entity must, to the extent possible, give the individual access
to any other protected health information requested, for which access
is not being denied. The denial must contain the basis for the denial
and, if applicable, a statement of the individual's review rights
and a description of how the individual can exercise those rights.
It also must include specific information on how the individual
can file a complaint with the covered entity or with the Secretary
of HHS.
If an individual
requests a review of the denial, the covered entity must designate
a licensed health care professional who was not directly involved
in the initial decision to deny access to review the decision. The
entity must promptly provide the individual written notice of the
decision. 45 CFR §164.524(d).
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Right to amendment
of their protected health information
The Privacy Rule gives individuals the right to have covered entities
amend their protected health information in a designated record set when
that information is inaccurate or incomplete. 45 CFR §164.526. For
example, an individual who believes that information contained in his
or her record is incorrect can submit additional information to substantiate
this claim. Individuals can also request that second opinions be included
in their designated record set. The individual has the right to have a
covered entity amend their protected health information for as long as
the covered entity maintains the information in a designated record set.
The covered entity must act on an individual's request for amendment no
later than 60 days after it receives the request. The deadline may be
extended once up to 30 days if the covered entity provides the individual
with a written statement of the reasons for delay and the date by which
the covered entity will fulfill his or her request. If a covered entity
accepts the request it must: (1) make the appropriate amendment; and (2)
inform the individual in a timely fashion that the amendment is accepted.
The covered entity must then make reasonable efforts to provide the amendment
within a reasonable time to both entities identified by the individual
and other entities known to have received the erroneous information.
A covered entity
may deny an individual's request for amendment if the entity determines
that the information or record: (1) was not created by the covered entity
unless the individual provides a reasonable basis to believe that the
protected health information is no longer available to make the amendment;
(2) is not a part of the designated record set; (3) would not be available
for inspection; or (4) is accurate and complete. 45 CFR §164.526(a)(2).
If the covered entity
denies an individual's request in whole or in part, it must give the individual
a timely denial in plain language text, which includes the basis for the
denial, the individual's right to submit a written statement disagreeing
with the denial and how to exercise that right, a statement that the individual
can request the covered entity to include the individual's request and
the denial with any future disclosures of the information (if the individual
does not file a statement of disagreement), and a description of how the
individual can file a complaint with the covered entity or the Secretary
of HHS. 45 CFR §164.526(d).
If the individual
files a statement of disagreement, the covered entity can prepare a rebuttal
to the individual's statement. The entity must provide a copy of the rebuttal
to the individual. The request for amendment, the denial, the statement
of disagreement (if submitted), and rebuttal (if any), or a summary of
such information must be provided with any subsequent disclosures of the
protected health information. The covered entity can set reasonable limits
on the length of the individual's statement of disagreement.
Right to receive
notice of a covered entity's privacy practices
The Privacy Rule requires covered entities to provide notice describing
their privacy practices to the individual who is the subject of the protected
health information. 45 CFR §164.520.
Health plans are
required to give notice to named insureds by the compliance date of the
Privacy Rule (April 14, 2003; small health plans - April 14, 2004) and
to new named insureds at the time of enrollment. This means, for example,
that for families receiving group health insurance coverage through an
employer, only the employee, and not all family members, must be given
notice. Health plans are also required to notify individuals every three
years that the privacy practices notice is available. 45 CFR §164.520(c)(1).
Health care providers
with direct treatment relationships with individuals are required to give
notice of their privacy practices no later than the date of the first
service delivery after April 14, 2003. Except in emergencies, health care
providers with direct treatment relationships must also make a good-faith
effort to obtain a written acknowledgment of receipt of the notice. All
covered entities must make available the notice to any person, upon request.
Health care providers with direct treatment relationships must post the
notice on the premises if they maintain a physical service delivery site.
45 CFR §164.530(c)(2).
Covered entities
also have special notice requirements if their privacy practices change.
45 CFR §§164.520(b)(1)(v)(C) and (b)(3).
Ryan White CARE
Act grantees that are covered entities as health care providers must give
written notice at least once - no later than the first date that services
are provided after the compliance date. Notice must also be given upon
request and when the provider's privacy policy changes. Providers must
also post their notice of privacy practices on the premises of their facilities.
NOTICE REQUIREMENTS
The notice
must be written in plain language. HRSA has developed guidance for
making privacy notices more readable. When developing a privacy
notice, consult www.hrsa.gov/language.htm. The following are critical
elements of the notice-other requirements also apply (covered entities
should review 45 CFR §164.520 to ensure that they comply with
all of the Privacy Rule's notice requirements):
- The notice
must contain as a header or prominently displayed the following
statement: "THIS
NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED
AND
DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE
REVIEW IT CAREFULLY."
- A description
of the individual's rights with respect to protected health information
and how the
individual may exercise those rights;
- The legal
duties of the covered entity;
- A description
of the types of uses and disclosures that are permitted with examples,
including
those permitted or required without the individual's written authorization;
- How an individual
can file complaints with the covered entity and a statement that
the individual
will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint;
- A statement
that individuals may complain to the Secretary of HHS if they
believe their privacy
rights have been violated;
- A contact
person for additional information; and
- The date
on which the notice is in effect.
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It is important
to note:
-- Separate
statements are required in the notice for certain uses and disclosures.
For example,
if a covered entity plans to use or disclose protected health information
for fundraising or to
contact individuals to remind them of appointments, then they must
specifically state in the
notice that uses and disclosures may be made for these specific
purposes.
-- The covered
entity must expressly reserve its right to change the terms of its
privacy notice and
must specify that such changes will apply to previously created
or received health information. If
the entity does not reserve its rights to change a privacy practice
stated in the notice, it is bound
by the privacy practices in the notice with respect to protected
health information created or
received while that notice is in effect.
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Right to request
privacy protection of protected health information
The Privacy Rule gives individuals the right to request additional restrictions
on uses and disclosures of their protected health information. This right
to request additional restrictions and the right of a covered entity to
deny that request are described in the next section following a description
of general rules for uses and disclosures. 45 CFR §164.522.
Right to receive
an accounting of disclosures
Individuals have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of
their protected health information made by the covered entity during the
six years prior to the date (beginning on the compliance date) that the
individual requests the accounting, including disclosures by business
associates. 45 CFR §164.528. The right to an accounting only extends
to disclosures, i.e., sharing health information outside of a covered
entity. It does not encompass uses, i.e., sharing health information within
a covered entity. For example, an individual does not have a right to
a list of all hospital employees who have had access to his or her health
information. With some exceptions, the accounting must include the date
of each disclosure; the name and, if known, the address of the entity
or person who received the information; a description of the information
disclosed; and a brief statement of the purpose of the disclosure or a
copy of the written request for disclosure. The Privacy Rule includes
other accounting provisions for multiple disclosures of protected health
information to the same person for certain purposes and for multiple disclosures
for a particular research purpose. 45 CFR §§164.528(b)(3) and
(4).
The covered entity
must provide the individual with the accounting no later than 60 days
after it receives the request. The deadline may be extended once up to
30 days. The first accounting provided to an individual in any 12-month
period is free. The covered entity may impose a reasonable, cost-based
fee for each subsequent request within the 12-month period. 45 CFR §164.528(c).
There are a few exceptions
to the individual's right to receive an accounting of disclosures, and
they are specified in the Privacy Rule. 45 CFR §164.528(a)(l)(i)-(ix).
For example, the covered entity is not required to provide an accounting
of disclosures that have been made to carry out treatment, payment, and
health care operations. The Privacy Rule also exempts from the accounting
requirement disclosures made pursuant to a valid authorization and disclosures
that are part of a limited data set pursuant to a valid data use agreement.
The covered entity must also temporarily suspend the individual's right
to receive an accounting with respect to disclosures made to a health
oversight agency or law enforcement official if the agency or official
provides the entity with a statement that providing the individual an
accounting of the disclosure would reasonably likely impede agency activities.
The statement must specify the suspension time required. 45 CFR §164.528(a)(2)(i).
REQUIRED ACTIONS
- Develop
policies and procedures for allowing clients to inspect and receive
a copy of their own records. This includes establishing policies
for charging a reasonable cost-based fee for copying records (if
the covered entity elects to charge a fee).
- Develop
policies and procedures for allowing individuals to request amendments
to their records and for acting on such requests, such as when
an individual reports an error or disputes information contained
in the record.
- Develop
policies and procedures for verifying which individuals can lawfully
act as personal representatives.
- Develop
policies and procedures for when it may be necessary to deny access
by individuals or their personal representatives to an individual's
medical records.
- Give notice
of your privacy practices on the first service delivery date after
the applicable compliance date. Consult www.hrsa.gov/language.htm
for guidance on plain language and making the privacy notice more
readable.
- Post your
notice of privacy practices on the premises (applies to covered
entities with physical service delivery sites) and on your website.
- Develop
policies and procedures for evaluating and implementing requests
from individuals for additional restrictions on uses and disclosures
of their protected health information.
- Train members
of your workforce to understand and operationalize the requirements
of the Privacy Rule.
- Designate
an individual as the privacy officer who is responsible for ensuring
that privacy policies are followed.
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4. What does the
Privacy Rule require regarding uses and disclosures of protected health
information?
The Privacy Rule
establishes standards under which covered entities may use and disclose
protected health information. They include required disclosures and permissive
disclosures. As stated above, the Privacy Rule requires covered entities
to disclose protected health information to individuals who are the subject
of the protected health information when those individuals or their personal
representatives request access, except in limited circumstances. The only
other case in which the Privacy Rule requires covered entities to disclose
information is to the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of
Health and Human Services, when necessary to determine compliance with
the Privacy Rule. All other uses and disclosures of protected health information
are permissive. This means that the Privacy Rule allows covered entities
to disclose protected information, at their own discretion but, in many
cases, subject to certain requirements or limitations. As discussed later,
other laws or legal processes may compel covered entities to disclose
protected health information. If a use or disclosure is not required or
permitted by the Privacy Rule, a covered entity must obtain the individual's
authorization for the intended use or disclosure.
Permissive uses and
disclosures fall into four categories:
1) Treatment,
payment, and health care operations
Covered entities
may use and disclose protected health information for treatment and payment
without an individual's authorization. 45 CFR §164.502(a)(i)(ii).
The Privacy Rule defines treatment as the provision, coordination, or
management of health care and related services by one or more health care
providers, including the coordination or management of health care by
a health care provider with a third party; consultation between providers
relating to a patient; or the referral of a patient for health care from
one health care provider to another. 45 CFR §164.501. Payment is
defined as the activities undertaken by a health plan to obtain premiums
or to determine or fulfill its responsibility for coverage and provision
of benefits under the health plan to an individual, or activities by a
health care provider or health plan to obtain or provide reimbursement
for the provision of health care to an individual. 45 CFR §164.501
The Privacy Rule
also permits uses and disclosures without authorization if they fall into
a category of purposes called health care operations, a term intended
to encompass the routine management functions of a well-run and efficient
health care organization. Health care operations is a broad category that
includes, but is not limited to: quality assessment and improvement activities;
reviewing the competence or qualifications of health care professionals;
arranging for legal services; business planning; training; customer services;
resolution of internal grievances; underwriting; creating de-identified
information; and certain fundraising activities. 45 CFR §164.501.
2) Uses and disclosures
for which individuals can agree or object
The Privacy Rule
creates a category of uses and disclosures for which no authorization
is required, but for which individuals must be given an opportunity to
agree or object. Except in certain emergency conditions, individuals must
be given an advance opportunity to agree or object to certain uses and
disclosures by objecting to the use or disclosure. This applies to uses
and disclosures related to facility directories (such as a list of patient
names and room numbers available from a hospital information desk) and
disclosures to certain persons related to, or identified by, the individual.
45 CFR §164.510.
In the case of facility
directories, information that may be used or disclosed is limited to the
individual's name and his or her location in the facility, general condition,
and religious affiliation. These provisions would permit, for example,
a florist to deliver flowers to a patient in a hospital. Covered entities
may disclose this information (except for religious affiliation) to persons
who ask for the individual by name. Additionally, directory information
including religious affiliation may be disclosed to members of the clergy.
A covered entity
may disclose certain information to a family member, relative, close friend,
or other person identified by the individual. Only information directly
relevant to the person's involvement with the individual's care (or payment
related to the individual's health care) may be shared. If the individual
objects to these disclosures (which can be an oral communication), then
the covered entity is prohibited from sharing this information. These
provisions also generally permit someone to act on behalf of an individual
and, for instance, pick up a prescription.
PERMITTED
DISCLOSURES TO FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS
A covered entity
may disclose certain information to a family member, relative, close
friend, or
other person identified by the individual. Only the protected health
information directly relevant to
such person's involvement with the individual's care or payment
related to the individual's health
care may be shared. If the individual is present and has the capacity
to make health care
decisions, the covered entity may disclose information to those
involved in providing care to the
individual if the covered entity does any one of the following:
obtains the individual's agreement;
provides the individual with the opportunity to object and the individual
does not express a desire
to object; or reasonably infers from the circumstances, based on
the exercise of professional
judgment, that the individual does not object. These agreements
can be oral. 45 CFR
§164.510(b)(2).
If an individual
objects, the covered entity is prohibited from sharing health information
with an individual's friends or relatives. When the individual is
not present or is
incapacitated, the covered entity may use its best professional
judgment and experience
with common practice in deciding whether a disclosure is appropriate.
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Other disclosures
to which individuals can agree or object are not discussed in this document;
however, the reader may obtain additional information and detail in the
Privacy Rule under 45 CFR §164.510. These disclosures include: (1)
notification disclosures (e.g., location, general condition, or death)
as set forth in 45 CFR §164.510(b)(1)(ii); (2) disclosures with respect
to incapacitated persons under 45 CFR §164.510(b)(3); (3) disclosures
with the individual present under 45 CFR §164.510(b)(2); and (4)
disclosures for disaster relief purposes under 45 CFR §164.510(b)(4).
3) Public Priority
Purposes
The Privacy Rule
permits covered entities to use and disclose protected health information
without authorization in connection with a defined list of public priority
purposes. These uses and disclosures are described further in the next
section of the guide. Public priority purposes include, but are not limited
to, uses and disclosures required by law, for health oversight, and for
public health purposes. 45 CFR §164.512.
4) Authorization is required
All other uses and
disclosures not expressly required or permitted must have a valid prior
written authorization from the individual. 45 CFR §164.508. An authorization
must be:
written in plain
language;
contain the specific
information to be disclosed or used;
identify the person(s)
disclosing and receiving the information;
contain an expiration
date after which the information may not be disclosed or used;
specify the individual's
right to revoke the authorization in writing; and
a copy of the signed
authorization must be provided to the individual.
- With some exceptions,
a covered health care provider may not refuse treatment, and a health
plan may not deny enrollment, to individuals who refuse to sign an authorization.
Individuals have
a right to request additional limitations on uses and disclosures
An individual has the right to request that the covered entity restrict
uses or disclosures of protected health information about the individual
to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operations. The covered
entity is not required to agree to such a restriction. However, if the
covered entity enters into an agreement to restrict, it must abide by
the agreement, except in emergency circumstances. The covered entity may
terminate its agreement to restrict but only for health information created
or received after it has informed the individual of the termination. An
agreement to a restriction does not apply to uses or disclosures to the
Secretary, to uses and disclosures for facility directories, or to uses
and disclosures when an authorization or an opportunity to agree or object
is not required. 45 CFR §164.522(a).
The Privacy Rule
creates standards for covered health care providers and health plans to
accommodate reasonable requests by individuals to receive confidential
communications of protected health information from the covered entity
by alternative means or at alternative locations. A covered health care
provider must permit individuals to request, and must accommodate reasonable
requests to receive communications of protected health information by
alternative means or at alternative locations. The same standard applies
to health plans, if the individual "clearly states that the disclosure
of all or part of that information could endanger the individual."
45 CFR §164.522(b)(1).
Covered entities
can require individuals to make requests for confidential communications
in writing, and they can condition the provision of a reasonable accommodation,
when appropriate, on having information as to how payment will be handled
and specification of an alternative address or other method of contact.
In addition, a covered health care provider may not require an explanation
from the individual as to the basis for the request as a condition of
providing communications on a confidential basis. However, a health plan
may require that a request contain a statement that disclosure of all
or part of the information to which the request pertains could endanger
the individual. 45 CFR §164.522(b)(2).
CLIENT REQUESTS
ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS-POTENTIAL SCENARIOS
The following
are two ways that covered entities may handle a client's request
for additional restrictions on the use and disclosure of protected
health information. The Privacy Rule permits both responses from
covered entities. In these scenarios, both physicians are covered
entities.
Ruben Garcia,
who is a client of Dr. Rivera, does not want his next-door neighbor,
Dr. Jones, to access his protected health information and learn
that he is HIV-positive. Therefore, Mr. Garcia discusses the situation
with Dr. Rivera who agrees to restrict access to Mr. Garcia's records.
Because Drs. Rivera and Jones work in a large AIDS services organization
that already has several controls on who can access information,
Dr. Rivera believes that he can honor this
request without undue difficulty. Further, he believes that if he
refuses Mr. Garcia's request, it could hinder the trust they have
established and it could cause Mr. Garcia to stop seeking care.
Therefore, he enters into a written agreement with Mr. Garcia saying
that he will restrict access to
Mr. Garcia's medical records so that only specifically identified
providers are able to access them.
Maya Johnson
has heard that Dr. Baker has a reputation of being particularly
sensitive to the needs of women with HIV. On her first visit, however,
she sees that someone she knows from church, Penny Schmidt, is the
office manager and manages the billing process. Ms. Johnson
wants to see Dr. Baker, but she doesn't want Ms. Schmidt to see
the details of the types of medical care she is receiving. She requests
that Dr. Baker restrict access to prevent Ms. Schmidt from seeing
her protected health information. Because Dr. Baker is in a small
practice, all client
records are maintained in paper files and Ms. Schmidt is the sole
person responsible for billing. While she would like to honor Ms.
Johnson's request, she does not believe that she could do so. Therefore,
she refuses Ms. Johnson's request to restrict.
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Covered entities
are permitted to seek consent to use and disclose protected health information
for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes.
Providing consent for the use or disclosure of protected health information
for treatment, payment, and health care operations is not the same as
providing authorization to use and disclose protected health information
for other purposes. A covered entity may, at its discretion, obtain the
individual's consent to use or disclose protected health information for
treatment, payment, and health care operations, although the Privacy Rule
does not require a covered entity to obtain consent for these uses. Covered
entities that choose to obtain consent have discretion in designing the
consent form and developing a procedure for obtaining consent. If the
covered entity means to use or disclose information for some purpose other
than treatment, payment, or health care operations, and the regulation
provides no other basis for that use or disclosure, the consent just discussed
is not adequate. The entity must obtain an authorization which meets the
requirements in the Privacy Rule. Moreover, this consent is not the same
as providing informed consent for treatment. 45 CFR §164.506(b).
Interaction of
the Privacy Rule with state laws and regulations
The Privacy Rule establishes a Federal floor of legal protection for health
information that leaves other, stronger protections of state law in place.
The protections are cumulative, so that the individual gets the strongest
protections and benefits of each law. 45 CFR §160.203. State laws
that are not contrary to the Privacy Rule remain in effect. State laws
that are contrary to the Privacy Rule and that are less stringent are
preempted. State laws related to the privacy of health information that
are more stringent than the Privacy Rule will remain in effect when they
are contrary to the Privacy Rule. Generally, a state law is more stringent
when it provides greater privacy rights for the individual who is the
subject of the information. 45 CFR §160.202 and 45 CFR §160.203.
Grantees are already
familiar with the many state laws that provide special protections for
HIV/AIDS test results and other HIV/AIDS related information, and those
laws are often more protective than the Privacy Rule. They may, for example,
require a separate authorization to disclose such information. Or both
the Privacy Rule and state law may permit a particular disclosure without
authorization, but the state law may impose some conditions on the disclosure,
or limit to whom the disclosure may be made.
It is important that
grantees be aware of both the Privacy Rule and the state law applicable
to their activities, and develop policies and procedures that ensure their
clients receive all the protections under both. It may be necessary to
consult with legal counsel to resolve particular issues about the relationship
of the Privacy Rule to state law.
Many state laws require
reporting or other disclosure of information about patients. The Privacy
Rule permits any disclosure that is required by law. 45 CFR §164.512(a).
Thus, required disease or injury reporting, vital events reporting, and
reporting of abuse of any person, are all permitted disclosures under
the Privacy Rule. Likewise, the Privacy Rule permits health plans to comply
with laws that require reporting or granting access to information to
state agencies for audits, evaluation, or licensure.
In this regard it
should be noted that many disclosures referenced here are permitted by
the Privacy Rule even without an actual obligation to report or disclose
under state law. For example, the provisions relating to disclosures for
oversight and public health purposes, as discussed below in Section 5,
permit many of these disclosures; the state law need not require the disclosure,
nor need the state official obtain a court order, for a covered entity
to properly disclose information for these purposes, as long as the Privacy
Rule's conditions for the particular disclosure are met.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Conduct an audit
of all of the ways that protected health information is routinely used
or disclosed, in order to determine in which category the use or disclosure
falls.
Develop policies
and procedures for implementing the use and disclosure
requirements for each category.
Develop policies
and procedures for handling disclosures to family members,
close friends, and associates.
Develop policies
and procedures for evaluating and implementing requests from
individuals for additional restrictions on uses and disclosures of their
protected
health information.
Determine whether
you or your organization will elect to seek consent to use and
disclose protected health information for treatment, payment, or health
care
operations. Establish policies and procedures to implement your organization's
decision.
Review existing state
laws and other Federal laws applicable to your program to determine if
they contain additional requirements or restrictions on uses and
disclosures or greater rights of access of protected health information.
The Attorney General's office in your state may serve as a good resource
for determining which state laws interact with the Privacy Rule.
5. What disclosures are permitted without individual authorization?
In addition to uses
and disclosures to the individual who is the subject of the information
and for treatment, payment, and health care operations, uses and disclosures
can be made for the following public priority purposes without individual
authorization:
PERMITTED
PUBLIC PRIORITY DISCLOSURES WITHOUT INDIVIDUAL AUTHORIZATION
As described
in this section, disclosures are permitted without first obtaining
an individual's authorization for certain purposes. There are requirements
that must be met and/or limitations that are imposed for most of
these disclosures. These disclosures include:
-- When required
by law;
-- Health
oversight activities;
-- Public
health authorities for public health activities;
-- When responding
to an imminent threat to any person or the public;
-- Disclosures
in connection with abuse, neglect, or domestic violence;
-- Workers
Compensation;
-- When responding
to court orders or other legal process;
--To law enforcement;
-- Certain
research activities;
-- Specialized
government functions;
-- Decedents;
and
-- Cadaveric
organ, eye, or tissue donation.
See 45 CFR
§164.512 for a complete description of each permitted disclosure.
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When required
by law
A covered entity may use or disclose protected health information to the
extent that the law requires it and the disclosure complies with, and
is limited to, the relevant requirements of such law. 45 CFR §164.512(a).
Although other permitted disclosures are limited by the minimum necessary
standard, this standard does not apply to disclosures required by law.
If Ryan White CARE
Act grantees are required to report names of clients under public health
reporting laws, the Privacy Rule permits these disclosures.
Health oversight
activities
Disclosures may be made to health oversight agencies as defined in the
Privacy Rule for oversight activities authorized by law, including, but
not limited to: audits; civil, administrative, or criminal investigations;
inspections; and licensure or disciplinary actions. 45 CFR §164.512(d).
Such disclosures are subject to the Privacy Rule's minimum necessary requirement.
This provision does not encompass investigations of individuals that are
not related to the receipt of health care, not related to claims for public
benefits related to health care or not related to qualification for public
benefits when an individual's health is integral to the claim. Ryan White
CARE Act grantees are subject to audit by the HHS Office of the Inspector
General (OIG). The OIG is a health oversight agency and its audits, investigations
and/or inspections of the Ryan White CARE Act grantees and sub-grantees
are health oversight activities for which disclosure of protected health
information is permitted by the Privacy Rule.
Public health
purposes
A covered entity may disclose protected health information for certain
public health activities to certain specified recipients. These include
public health authorities (such as HRSA, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration, and state public health agencies, when they
are operating as a public health authority), persons subject to the jurisdiction
of the Food and Drug Administration, and to persons exposed to a communicable
disease (if other laws authorize such notification). 45 CFR §164.512(b).
Additionally, in certain circumstances involving workplace health and
safety laws, a covered health care provider may disclose protected health
information for certain purposes to an employer about an individual who
is a member of that employer's workforce. Disclosures for public health
purposes are subject to the Privacy Rule's minimum necessary requirement.
Some reporting required
by HAB is permitted under either the health oversight or public health
exceptions. The exception that applies depends on the purpose for which
the information is collected.
A covered entity
may also create a limited data set which may be used or disclosed for
public health, research or health care operations purposes without authorization
pursuant to a valid data use agreement. 45 CFR §164.514(e).
LIMITED
DATA SET
A covered entity
may create and share a limited data set that it may use or disclose
for health care operations, public health, and research purposes
without individual authorization.
A limited data
set, while not considered de-identified information, has the following
direct identifiers of the individual (or relatives, employers or
members of the individual's household) removed: name; postal address
information other than city, state and zip code; account numbers
and biometric identifiers; social security number; telephone and
fax number; e-mail address; full face photo; medical record number;
and a few others. For instance, a covered HIV services provider
could share a limited data set with a health department in order
for it to aggregate and analyze data from many services providers
in a community to monitor trends in HIV and Hepatitis C co-infections.
The Privacy
Rule conditions use or disclosure of the limited data set on a covered
entity's entering into a data use agreement with the recipient,
in which the recipient agrees to: limit the use of the data set
for the purposes for which it was given; ensure the security of
the data; report breaches of the agreement of which it becomes aware;
ensure that its agents and subcontractors agree to the same restrictions
and conditions that apply to the recipient; and not re-identify
the information or use it to contact any individual.
If the data
recipient is a covered entity and it knowingly violates a data use
agreement, it is in noncompliance with the Privacy Rule (see 45
CFR §164.514(e)(4)(iii) for details). If the data recipient
is not a covered entity, HHS cannot take enforcement activity directly
against it, but can against the covered entity that entered into
the agreement.
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When responding
to an imminent threat to any person or the public
Consistent with applicable law and standards of ethical conduct, a covered
entity may use or disclose protected health information if the covered
entity, in good faith, believes that the disclosure is necessary to prevent
or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person
or the public and the disclosure is to a person reasonably able to prevent
or lessen the threat, which could include the target of the threat, or
that the disclosure is necessary for law enforcement authorities to identify
or apprehend an individual under certain circumstances.
45 CFR §164.512(j).
Disclosures in
connection with abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
A covered entity may disclose information about individuals believed to
be victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to a government authority
to the extent the disclosure is required by law, or if the individual
agrees to such disclosure. 45 CFR §164.512(c). Additionally, a covered
entity may disclose this type of information if such a disclosure is expressly
permitted by a law or statute and certain specified criteria are met.
Special provisions apply when the individual is unable to agree to the
disclosure because of incapacity or when disclosure is needed to prevent
serious harm. Disclosures related to possible child abuse may only be
made to public health authorities or appropriate government agencies authorized
by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect.
Workers Compensation
A covered entity may disclose protected health information as authorized
by laws relating to workers' compensation or other similar programs. Workers'
compensation carriers are not considered health plans under the Privacy
Rule, and are, therefore, not covered entities under the Privacy Rule.
45 CFR §164.512(l).
When responding
to court orders or other legal process
The Privacy Rule allows a covered entity to disclose protected health
information in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal,
but only to the extent the information is covered by the order. Furthermore,
a covered entity may disclose protected health information in response
to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process if the covered
entity receives satisfactory assurance that the party seeking the information
has made reasonable efforts to ensure that the individual who is the subject
of the requested information has been given notice of the request or a
protective order has been sought for the information. 45 CFR §164.512(e).
DISCLOSURES
TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
A covered entity
may disclose protected health information in certain circumstances
to law enforcement officials. Permissible circumstances are described
in the Privacy Rule in 45 CFR §164.512(f). Disclosures may
be made to law enforcement officials in the following circumstances:
-- Pursuant
to process (such as a court order, a court-ordered warrant or a
judicial subpoena) or
when required by law
-- Limited
information for purposes of identification and location of a suspect,
fugitive, material
witness or missing person
-- Information
about an individual suspected to be a victim of a crime
-- Decedents
if death may have resulted from a criminal action
-- Crime on
the covered entity's premises
-- Reporting
crime in emergencies
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Research
It is important to note that the Privacy Rule does not apply to research;
it applies to covered entities, which researchers may or may not be. For
example, when researchers also are health care providers who conduct certain
electronic transactions, they are subject to the Privacy Rule as covered
entities. When they work or volunteer for covered entities (e.g., researchers
within certain academic medical centers), researchers may be required
by the covered entity to comply with the Privacy Rule. Other researchers
may also collect, use, and release individually identifiable health information,
but they will not qualify as covered entities if they are not health care
providers who conduct certain electronic transactions. Unlike the applicability
of the HHS Protection of Human Subjects Regulations at 45 CFR part 46
to institutions that engage in human subjects research conducted or supported
by the HHS, the source of funding does not determine whether an individual
or entity is a covered entity and, therefore, subject to the Privacy Rule.
Some researchers may find themselves having to comply with both sets of
regulations.
The Privacy Rule describes the ways in which covered entities can use
or disclose protected health information for research purposes. 45 CFR
§164.512(i). In general, the Rule allows covered entities to use
and disclose protected health information for research if authorized to
do so by the subject in accordance with the Privacy Rule. However, to
gain access for research purposes to protected health information created
or maintained by covered entities without an individual's authorization,
a researcher may have to provide supporting documentation on which the
covered entity may rely in compliance with the Privacy Rule. For example,
protected health information can be used or disclosed for research if
a covered entity obtains documentation that an Institutional Review Board
(IRB) or another review body called a Privacy Board has waived the requirement
for authorization or allowed an alteration. The Rule also allows a covered
entity to enter into a data use agreement for sharing a limited data set
for research purposes (discussed previously). There are also separate
provisions for how protected health information can be used or disclosed
for activities preparatory to research and for research on decedents'
information. Additional information on the Privacy Rule and research can
be found at: http://privacyruleandresearch.nih.gov
IRBs and Privacy Boards
The Privacy Rule permits a covered entity to use or disclose the protected
health information for research without authorization if it obtains documentation
that an IRB or Privacy Board has waived or altered the authorization requirement.
Under the Privacy Rule, either board may waive or alter the Privacy Rule's
authorization requirements for the use and disclosure of protected health
information if the board determines that certain criteria for waiving
or altering the authorization requirement have been met. A Privacy Board
is a review body that may be established to review and, if appropriate,
approve requests for a waiver or an alteration of the authorization requirement
under the Privacy Rule for uses and disclosures of protected health information
for the research. Privacy Boards, however, do not exercise any of the
other powers or authority granted to IRBs under Federal laws relating
to federally-conducted or supported human subjects research and research
involving products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Privacy Rule is specific with regard to how the Privacy Board should
be composed. For example, it requires that at least one member not be
affiliated with the entity sponsoring the research. The Privacy Rule does
not alter IRB membership requirements, jurisdiction on matters concerning
the protection of human subjects, or other procedural IRB matters.
Review criteria
A covered entity may use and disclose protected health information, without
an authorization, or with an altered authorization, if it receives the
proper documentation of approval of such alteration or waiver from an
IRB or a Privacy Board. Many of the waiver criteria of the Privacy Rule
were modeled on the HHS Protection of Human Subjects Regulations. In order
for a covered entity to use or disclose protected health information under
a waiver or an alteration of the authorization requirement, it must receive
documentation of, among other things, the IRB or Privacy Board's determination
that the PHI use or disclosure involves no more than minimal risk to the
privacy of individuals due, in part, to an adequate plan to protect protected
health information identifiers from improper use and disclosure. (Complete
waiver criteria can be found at 45 CFR §164.512(i)(2)(ii)). Such
a determination may be made during the normal, convened session of the
IRB or Privacy Board or through expedited review if the IRB or Privacy
Board has determined that there is no more than minimal privacy risk to
the individual. Expedited review allows the chair of the IRB or Privacy
Board or a designee to approve the waiver alone, rather than by a vote
of the convened board.
Preparatory to research activities and research on decedents
The Privacy Rule
allows protected health information to be used and disclosed for research
without either an authorization or waiver of the authorization requirement
when the activity is considered preparatory to research or is research
on decedents' protected health information. For example, the Privacy Rule
allows a covered entity to use and disclose to a researcher protected
health information to prepare a research protocol or some other activity
in preparation for research, including aiding in study recruitment. In
addition, research solely on a decedent's protected health information
is permitted without authorization from the individual or his/her personal
representative or waiver of authorization. In both situations, certain
conditions must be met before the covered entity is permitted to disclose
protected health information for these purposes. See
45 CFR §164.512(i)(1)(ii) for conditions relating to preparatory
to research activities and 45 CFR §164.512(i)(1)(iii) for conditions
relating to research on decedents' information.
Specialized Government
Functions
An authorization is not required to use or disclose protected health information
for specialized government functions, such as: 1) certain military, intelligence
and national security activities; 2) to assure protection of the President
and others; 3) certain disclosures by the Department of State to Department
of State officials regarding medical suitability determinations; 4) certain
disclosures to a correctional institution or other law enforcement custodial
situations; and 5) for eligibility or enrollment information by a government
health plan to another agency that administers a government program providing
public benefits if required or expressly authorized by statute or regulation.
See 45 CFR §164.512(k) for a complete description of these and other
permitted disclosures for specialized government functions.
Decedents
Protected health information may be disclosed without prior authorization
to funeral directors, coroners or medical examiners to carry out their
occupational duties or other duties authorized by law. 45 CFR §164.512(g).
Cadaveric Organ,
Eye, or Tissue Donation
Protected health information may be disclosed to organ procurement organizations
or entities engaged in organ, eye, or tissue procurement, banking, or
transplantation to facilitate the donation and transplantation of cadaveric
organs, eyes, and tissue. 45 CFR §164.512(h).
6. Other provisions
regarding uses and disclosures of protected health information.
ADDITIONAL
PERMITTED DISCLOSURES WITH SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
As described
in this section, additional disclosures are permitted but must comply
with specific requirements. These disclosures include:
-- Certain
fundraising;
-- To business associates; and
-- Marketing
activities.
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Fundraising
A covered entity may use and disclose protected health information of
an individual without the individual's authorization to raise funds for
its own benefit if the proposed fundraising meets certain criteria. 45
CFR §164.514(f). The information used or disclosed must be limited
to demographic information related to an individual and the dates of health
care provided to an individual:
If the institution
is not doing the fundraising in-house, it can only disclose the information
to a business associate or an institutionally related foundation;
The covered entity
must specifically note that it uses information for fundraising purposes
in its notice of privacy practices;
Any fundraising materials
must include a description of how the individual can opt out of future
fundraising communications; and
The covered entity
must make reasonable efforts to ensure that an individual who has exercised
his or her opt-out rights does not receive further fundraising materials.
Because fundraising
is included in the definition of health care operations, an individual
has the right to request in advance that a covered entity restrict uses
and disclosures for such purposes. However, the covered entity is under
no obligation to agree to such a restriction.
Business Associates
Health plans and providers routinely contract with other companies and
consultants to perform a wide variety of functions on their behalf. Health
plans and providers, for example, may work with outside attorneys, bill
collectors, computer specialists, or accreditation organizations. All
of these entities may need access to protected health information to perform
their jobs on a client's behalf. But these persons or entities are generally
not directly subject to the Privacy Rule. To allow information to be shared
with these business associates and to protect information that may be
disclosed to them, the rule establishes specific conditions on when and
how covered entities may share information with these entities. 45 CFR
§164.502(e) and §164.504(e).
A business associate is a person or entity who, on behalf of a covered
entity, performs or assists in the performance of a function or activity
involving the use or disclosure of individually identifiable health information,
such as:
claims processing
or administration;
data analysis;
utilization review;
quality assurance;
billing;
practice management;
or,
providing legal,
actuarial, accounting consulting, data aggregation, management, administrative,
accreditation, or financial services.
A business associate
does not include a member of the covered entity's workforce. Neither does
it include the circumstance where two covered entities participate in
an organized health care arrangement, such as a hospital where a doctor
has privileges. 45 CFR §160.103. A covered entity may disclose protected
health information to a health care provider concerning treatment of an
individual without creating a business associate relationship. Furthermore,
the Rule is not intended to cover the provision of protected health information
to a person who merely acts as a conduit for protected health information,
such as the U.S. Postal Service, nor to persons or entities whose access
to protected health information is merely incidental.
A covered entity
is permitted to disclose protected health information to a business associate
or to allow the business associate to create or receive protected health
information on its behalf if the covered entity obtains satisfactory assurance
that the business associate will appropriately safeguard the information.
Generally, these
satisfactory assurances must be in a written contract which, among other
things, requires the business associate not to use or disclose the information
other than as permitted or required by the contract or as required by
law, and to implement appropriate safeguards to prevent inappropriate
uses and disclosures. A contract is not required in certain circumstances
where the covered entity and the business associate both are governmental
agencies or where the business associate is required by law to perform
the business associate function. In these cases, certain alternative documentation
may be required.
EXTENDED TIMEFRAME
TO COMPLY WITH CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
Covered
entities other than small health plans may have up to one additional year
to comply with the
business associate contract requirements of the Privacy Rule. 45 CFR §164.532(d).
Specifically, providers will have a maximum of an additional year (until
April 14, 2004) to conform existing contracts with the Privacy Rule's
contracting requirements if the provider's existing contracts were entered
into prior to October 15, 2002 and were not renewed or modified prior
to April 14, 2003.
This one-year
grace period is a maximum. If a contract is renewed or modified
between April 14, 2003, and April 14, 2004, then the contract must
be compliant by the renewal or modification date. Contracts with
business associates that were entered into on October 15, 2002,
or later, or that were renewed or modified between October 15, 2002,
and April 14, 2003, must comply with the Privacy Rule's specifications
as of April 14, 2003.
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Marketing
The Privacy Rule requires a covered entity to obtain an individual's prior
written authorization to use or disclose protected health information
for marketing. 45 CFR §164.508(a)(3).
Under the Privacy
Rule, marketing means (1) to make a communication about a product or service
that encourages recipients of the communication to purchase or use the
product or service, or (2) an arrangement between a covered entity and
any other entity in which the covered entity discloses protected health
information to the other entity, in exchange for direct or indirect remuneration,
for the other entity or its affiliate to make a communication about its
own product or service that encourages recipients of the communication
to purchase or use that product or service. 45 CFR §164.501.
The Privacy Rule expressly excludes various types of communications from
the definition of marketing. The types of communications excluded from
the definition include: those that describe a health-related product or
service that is provided by, or included in a plan of benefits of, the
covered entity making the communication; those that describe the entities
participating in a provider or plan network of the covered entity making
the communication; those that describe replacement of or enhancements
to, a health plan; those that describe health-related products or services
available only to health plan enrollees that add value to (but are not
part of) the plan's benefits of the covered entity making the communication;
those for treatment of the individual; those made for case management
and care coordination for the individual; and those made to direct or
recommend alternate treatments therapies, providers, or settings of care
to the individual.
Thus, communications
from a covered entity to an individual that are related to the treatment
of the individual are not marketing under the Privacy Rule, so they do
not require prior written authorization.
No authorization
is required if a pharmacy conducts its own review of its prescription
records and mails letters to individuals on antiretroviral therapy encouraging
them to switch their medication to another drug manufacturer's product
if the purpose of the activity is for treatment or to recommend alternative
therapies to the individual. If the drug manufacturer of the product pays
the pharmacy to perform this activity, the pharmacy may still perform
this activity without an individual authorization.
RECOMMENDED
ACTIONS
- Develop
policies and procedures for handling each of the described uses
and disclosures.
- Consider
whether there are uses and disclosures for health care operations,
public health, or research where a limited data set could be used.
- Identify
all business associates and execute written contracts with each
of them. See sample business associate contract provisions provided
by the Office for Civil Rights - available at : http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/contractprov.html.
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7. How much information
can be used and disclosed?
There are a couple
of specific requirements related to the use and disclosure of information.
Minimum necessary
requirement
In most cases, whenever a covered entity uses or discloses protected health
information or requests such information from another covered entity,
it must make reasonable efforts to limit the information to the minimum
amount necessary to accomplish the intended purpose of the use or disclosure.
45 CFR §164.502(b) and 45 CFR §164.514(d). In the context of
treatment, the minimum necessary standard applies only to uses of protected
health information. Disclosures for treatment purposes are not subject
to this standard.
The minimum necessary
standard does not apply to disclosures to or requests by a health care
provider for treatment purposes. Neither does the standard apply to disclosures
made to individuals pursuant to their request, to those made to the Secretary
for overseeing compliance of the Privacy Rule, to uses or disclosures
that are required by law, or to uses or disclosures pursuant to an authorization.
Psychotherapy
notes are afforded heightened protections
Psychotherapy notes are afforded special treatment and heightened protection.
For most purposes, a covered entity may not use or disclose information
contained in psychotherapy notes without an authorization from the individual
that meets the Privacy Rule's requirements. Such an authorization must
specify, among other requirements, who is authorized to receive the information
and include an expiration date or event. 45 CFR §164.508(a)(2).
Psychotherapy notes are limited to those notes that are recorded by a
mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversations
during counseling sessions and that are separated from the rest of the
individual's medical record. 45 CFR §164.501.
The diagnosis (or
disease code) and certain other information, including prescribed medications,
are not considered to be psychotherapy notes and may be disclosed for
treatment, payment, or health care operational purposes.
The Privacy Rule
prohibits a covered health care provider or a health plan from conditioning
treatment, payment, enrollment in the health plan, or the provision of
benefits on the individual's authorization for the release of psychotherapy
notes.
RECOMMENDED
ACTIONS
- Develop
policies and procedures for determining what constitutes the minimum
necessary for all routine uses and disclosures of protected health
information.
- If you (or
your organization) use or develop psychotherapy notes, you should
establish policies and procedures for appropriately safeguarding
this information.
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8. What is the impact
of the Privacy Rule on information sharing or reporting with HRSA's HIV/AIDS
Bureau (HAB)?
It is anticipated
that the Privacy Rule will have a minimal direct impact on HAB operations.
HAB does not meet the Privacy Rule's definition of a covered entity. Therefore,
HAB is not subject to the Privacy Rule. Nonetheless, HAB remains subject
to the Federal Privacy Act.
Under the Privacy
Rule, a covered entity may disclose protected health information without
the individual's authorization for health oversight activities and public
health activities and purposes to authorities authorized by law to collect
or receive such information. Some data reporting required by HAB is permitted
by the Privacy Rule without individual authorization by the health oversight
exception and/or public health exception, depending on the purpose for
which the information is collected. For example, in making grants, HAB
is required to monitor and assess those grants through evaluation activities
under Section 241 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act and the Uniform
Administrative Requirements for grants. Disclosure of protected health
information by covered entities to HAB for this purpose is permitted under
the health oversight exception (45 CFR §164.512(d)). In other circumstances,
HAB is authorized by law to collect information for monitoring trends
in the HIV epidemic, such as demographic data in applications for funding
under the Ryan White CARE Act. (See the following sections of the PHS
Act: 2605(b), 2613(c), 2617(b)(2), and 2664(a)(2)). Disclosure of protected
health information by covered entities to HAB for this purpose is permitted
under the public health activity exception (45 CFR §164.512(b)).
IMPACT ON
CLIENT DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS (CDPs)
HAB funds Client
Demonstration Projects (CDPs). These projects have established their
own Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes.
Disclosures
for research can be made without authorization if the covered entity
receives appropriate documentation that an Institutional Review
Board (IRB) or privacy board waives in whole or in part the individual
authorization requirement. An existing IRB established in accordance
with the Common Rule (or FDA regulations) that regulates federally
funded research or FDA human subject protection regulations may
perform this function. The Privacy Rule includes specific requirements
for establishing privacy boards.
Privacy
Board Composition
Privacy boards
must:
-- Have members
with varying backgrounds and appropriate professional competency
as necessary to review the effect of the research protocol on the
individual's privacy rights and related interests
-- Include
at least one member who is not affiliated with the covered entity,
not affiliated with any entity conducting or sponsoring the research,
and not related to any person who is affiliated with such entities
-- Not have any member participating in a review of any project
in which the member has a conflict of interest
Required
Documentation
For documentation
of a waiver of authorization to be sufficient to permit a covered
entity to use or disclose protected health information for research
based thereon, it must contain: (1) a statement identifying the
IRB or privacy board; (2) the date on which the alteration or waiver
was approved; (3) a statement that the IRB or privacy board has
determined that the alteration or waiver satisfies the applicable
criteria used to evaluate the request for alteration or waiver;
(4) a brief description
of the protected health information that is needed; (5) a statement
that the alteration or waiver has been reviewed under either normal
or expedited review procedures; and (6) the required signature(s).
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Ryan White CARE
Act grantees may be required to report certain information to HAB or other
HHS agencies, as a condition of grant award. When this information is
being collected in order to perform program and grant administration functions,
these disclosures are permitted by the Privacy Rule without individual
authorization as health oversight activities, subject to the minimum necessary
requirements.
Ryan White CARE
Act grantees may be required to report certain information to HAB, as
a condition of grant award. When this information is being collected in
order to monitor trends in the HIV epidemic, the Privacy Rule permits
these disclosures without individual authorization as a public health
purpose, subject to the minimum necessary requirements.
RECOMMENDED
ACTIONS
- Organizations
that are covered entities with Client Demonstration Projects (CDPs)
should evaluate their IRB procedures to determine whether they
comply with the Privacy Rule's requirements.
- Organizations
that are covered entities and work with CAREWare developers should
ensure they execute business associate contracts with these developers.
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9. What steps
must covered entities take to comply with the Privacy Rule?
The Privacy Rule
is intended to be flexible and scalable
how a three-person physician's
office must implement the rules can be very different from how a hospital
with 3,000 employees must implement them.
REQUIRED ACTIONS
In order to
be in compliance with the Privacy Rule, covered entities must, among
other requirements:
- Designate
a privacy official
- Designate
an individual who serves as a contact person to receive complaints
- Develop
policies and procedures as described throughout this guide and
for receiving and addressing complaints
- Train members
of the workforce
- Put in place
appropriate technical, administrative, and physical safeguards
to protect the privacy of protected health information
- Develop
sanctions for employees who violate privacy policies
- Document
personnel decisions, policies, training, sanctions, and complaints
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10. How is the
Privacy Rule enforced?
The approach of the
Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to compliance and enforcement is, whenever
possible, to work cooperatively with covered entities to achieve voluntary
compliance. Additionally, OCR is committed to assisting covered entities
in complying with the Privacy Rule through the provision of technical
assistance.
Any person who believes
a covered entity is not complying with the applicable requirements of
the Privacy Rule may file a complaint with the covered entity or with
the Secretary. 45 CFR §164.530(d) and §160.306. A person includes
an individual person, as well as any type of association, group, or organization.
Complaints
There are three requirements for filing a complaint with the Secretary:
The complaint must
be filed in writing, either on paper or electronically;
The complaint must
name the entity that is the subject of the complaint and describe the
acts or omissions believed to be violations of the Privacy Rule; and,
The complaint must
be filed within 180 days of when the complainant knew (or should have
known) of the violation of the Privacy Rule. The Secretary has the authority
to waive the time limit if there is a showing of good cause.
The complaint procedure
and a sample complaint form is available at: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacyhowtofile.htm.
OCR is authorized
to conduct an investigation of the complaint. This investigation may include
review of relevant policies, procedures, and practices of the covered
entity and the specific circumstances of the complaint. After an investigation,
OCR will notify the covered entity and the complainant of the outcome
of the investigation. If there is an indication of noncompliance, OCR
will, whenever possible, attempt to resolve the matter informally.
Compliance Reviews
The Privacy Rule authorizes OCR to conduct compliance reviews to determine
whether covered entities are complying with the Privacy Rule. 45 CFR §160.308.
While OCR has authority to conduct compliance reviews, for the foreseeable
future, its formal enforcement activities will primarily be complaint
investigations. As with the investigation of a complaint, OCR will notify
the covered entity of the outcome of the review. If there is an indication
of noncompliance, OCR will, whenever possible, attempt to resolve the
matter informally.
The Privacy Rule
places three responsibilities on covered entities with regard to compliance:
Provide records and
compliance reports in a timely manner, and containing such information
as the Secretary determines to be necessary;
Cooperate with complaint
investigations and compliance reviews; and
Permit access to
information.
Under normal circumstances,
a covered entity must permit OCR, during normal business hours, to access
its facilities, books, records, accounts, and other sources of information,
including protected health information, that are pertinent to ascertaining
compliance with the Privacy Rule. Under exigent circumstances, such as
when documents may be hidden or destroyed, a covered entity must permit
access by OCR at any time without notice. Protected health information
that is obtained by OCR in connection with an investigation or compliance
review will not be disclosed by OCR unless it is necessary for ascertaining
or enforcing compliance with the Privacy Rule, or it is otherwise required
by law.
Penalties
The Administrative Simplification provisions of HIPAA establish civil
and criminal penalties for violations of the Privacy Rule. There is a
civil money penalty per violation of up to $100, which is capped at a
maximum of $25,000 per calendar year, for violations of an identical requirement
or prohibition. Criminal penalties may be imposed for certain wrongful
acts, which escalate to a maximum of $250,000 and ten years imprisonment
for particularly egregious offenses. HIPAA does not create a Federal right
to sue for violations of the Privacy Rule.
Acknowledgements
The following individuals
provided extensive time, effort and dedication to the development of this
document:
Jeffrey S. Crowley, MPH
Project Director
Georgetown University
Institute for Health Care Research and Policy
Ivana R. Williams,
MPA, RPT (Government Project Officer)
Senior Program Management Consultant
Office of Policy and Program Development
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
HIV AIDS Bureau
Melissa Bartlett,
J.D.
Privacy Program Specialist
DHHS, Office for Civil Rights
Sandra Karen
System Analyst
Division of Knowledge Management
DHHS, HRSA, Office of Information Technology
Lora Kutkat, M.S.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Office of Science Policy and Planning
DHHS, National Institutes of Health
Office of the Director
Elizabeth H. Saindon,
J.D.
Senior Attorney
DHHS, Office of the General Counsel
Public Health Division
Jessica Townsend
Senior Staff Fellow
DHHS, HRSA
Office of Planning and Evalutation
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