Question

Do you believe that the 12 public interest and benefit exceptions to the authorization requirement are warranted?

Statt at Community Hospital, a 200-bed facility, has been busy with HIPAA Privacy Rule issues recently. Community Hospital is regularly surveyed by the city safety department for compliance with local codes related to issues such as fire and water safety. Community Hospital's privacy officer has issued an unsigned business associate agreement to the department of health, instructing the chief of its survey office to sign it because its surveyors, who may come into contact with Community Hospital's PHI, function as business associates.

Answer 1

There are 12 Exceptions whereby patient information can be disclosed without patient consent. These are considered as National Priority purposes to protect the public. Non-medical entities must balance between privacy rights and protection of people. Only the needed data can be extracted from the patient's information. This information can be provided without patient consent in case of a patient with a transmissable disease that interferes with public health, victims of abuse or violence, for the purpose of looking of the health care system, Organ donation, threats, and research purposes. HIPPA privacy policy allows the disclosure of PHI in certain situations to maintain the law and to protect the public.