When Does HIPAA Allow Hospitals to Give Patient Information to Police?
Rickey Stokes
Viewed: 4116
Posted by: RStokes
Date: Feb 24 2017 10:29 PM
DOTHAN: One of the businesses that I follow on TWITTER is DSI.
Click for DSI web site
DSI, once known as Dothan Security Inc. that was founded by the late Houston County Sheriff A.B. Clark and his wife Runnel Clark has grown from a small business to a huge employer across the United States of America.
The business was taken over by Sheriff and Mrs. Clark's son, Alan Clark. He built it to having accounts all over the U.S. and a employer of over 3,000 people. And the home office, right here in Dothan Alabama.
The business is run by Alan and Marty's two sons, Boyd and Devan, and Tom Sorrells ( retired 20th Judicial Circuit District Attorney son ) Eddie Sorrells.
One article they posted on TWITTER caught my attention concerning HIPAA and when it is okay to release medical records.
By Zach Winn · February 21, 2017 CAMPUS SAFETY
Healthcare facilities have to be very careful when releasing patient information, even when that information is going to law enforcement agencies.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule outlines very specific cases when a hospital is permitted to release protected health information without a patient’s written consent. Even in some of those situations, the type of information allowed to be released is severely limited.
For starters, a hospital can release patient information to a law enforcement official when the details are used for the identification and location of a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person.
It may also release patient information about a person suspected of a crime when the accuser is a member of the hospital workforce; or to identify a patient that has admitted to committing a violent crime, as long as the admission was not made during or because of the patient’s request for therapy, counseling or treatment related to the crime.
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