Q&A

Is the HIPAA law applicable to your employer?

Is the HIPAA law applicable to your employer?

Employers are generally not covered health providers, so HIPAA does not apply to them. If necessary to protect others, your work could share that you have an illness. That said, other laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act may prevent your employer from disclosing identifiable health information about you that you may have shared with them.

Who is not covered by the HIPAA law?

Employers are generally not covered health providers, so HIPAA does not apply to them. If necessary to protect others, your work could share that you have an illness.

When was HIPAA passed by the US Congress?

Passed by Congress in 1996, it’s a federal law that requires healthcare providers and organizations (and their business associates) to develop and follow procedures that ensure the confidentiality and security of patients’ protected health information (PHI).

What are the requirements of the Hippa rule?

The rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information, and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization.

Employers are generally not covered health providers, so HIPAA does not apply to them. If necessary to protect others, your work could share that you have an illness. That said, other laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act may prevent your employer from disclosing identifiable health information about you that you may have shared with them.

Who is covered by the HIPAA Privacy Rule?

The privacy rule applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers. It applies to employers only to the extent that they somehow operate in one or more of those capacities. The same standards apply to covered entities in both the public and private sectors.

Who are the companies that have to follow HIPAA?

Health plans, health care clearinghouses, health care providers who transmit health information have standards that they have to abide by, but there are also companies who do not have to follow these rules. Here’s how to know who you can trust with your personal data, and what the HIPAA Law and Privacy and Security Rules mean for you.

Is the Department of Health and Human Services changing HIPAA?

Before any regulations are changed, the Department of Health and Human Services will usually seek feedback on aspects of HIPAA regulations which are proving problematic or, due to changes in technologies or practices, are no longer as important as when they were signed into law.