The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a bulletin reminding HIPAA covered entities about the ways that patient information can be shared during outbreaks of infectious disease and other emergency situations, in light of the recent Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.
In the bulletin, the HHS confirms that in such situations, the protections of the HIPAA Privacy Rule still apply and healthcare organizations must continue to apply administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of protected health information (PHI).
Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, covered entities are permitted to disclose patient information without authorization for treatment purposes, care coordination, consultations, and referrals of patients for treatment.
To read the entire article, go to: HIPAA differences during Coronavirus
