Question

Under HIPPA law, whose responsibility is it to make sure that other people who may be affected by COVID-19 or AIDS know about it - the patient or the physician?

Answer 1

Ans:HIPPA(insurance portability and accountability act) ensures security of patients protected health information(PHI) and requires a reasonable safeguards to be implemented to protect PHI against impermissible uses and disclosures. The HIPAA privacy rule restricts uses and disclosures of information the those related to treatment ,payment and healthcare operations.The increased spread of coronavirus presents the number of significant challenge in addressing how to deal with covid-19 infections in the face of HIPAA privacy rules along with other relevant to Federal.

PHI can be disclosed without first receiving authorization from a patient for treatment Purpose .Disclosures are also permitted to coordinate and managed care for patient referrals and consultations with other healthcare professionals.

The HIPAA privacy rule applies disclosure by employees, volunteers and other members of a covered entities /business associate workforce.According to privacy rule HIPAA covered entities May disclose patient's PHI without patient consent as necessary to treat that patient or a different patient treatment includes coordination managing healthcare and related services by one or more healthcare providers and others consultation between providers and treatment referral for patient.A HIPAA-covered entity may share PHI with patients family ,friends or other people identified by patient as involved in patients care. A covered entity may also share information about patient necessary to identify locate and notify family or anyone else responsible for the patient's care of patients location ,general condition or death .This may include police press or the public at Large.

if patients are unconscious or incapacitated and healthcare provider determines that doing so is in the best and interest of patient,a healthcare provider may share relevant information with family ,friends or others involved in patients care or payment for care .