When Can You ‘Violate’ HIPAA?

Thursday, February 7, 2013
The Answer – when a provider organization feels a patient poses "a serious and imminent threat." That was the message earlier this month from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), when OCR Director Leon Rodriguez issued a letter offering important guidance to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) "Omnibus Rule" (see HIPAA: The Final Act all members).

Prompted by recent gun violence, Mr. Rodriguez's letter clarifies that the recently released HIPAA Privacy final ruling does not prevent providers organizations from disclosing information to . . .