Chris Tucker

February 3,2017
MED1080-1

When can and how should HIPAA release patient information ?

Any patient medical information that is to be released to the public or media will be

done in strict accordance with the rules and regulations of HIPAA. These rules and regulations

require heath care institutions to safeguard and protect the privacy and integrity of the patients

personal health information. All media and public inquiries to patients information must be

coordinated through public relations and HIPAA.

All media inquiries must include a patients specific name. if the patient does not wish to

request that the information be with held. Information on the patient may be released using

one-word. Any medical information that is released beyond this condition must first be given

written authorization by the patient or by the patients legal representative. The patient has the

right to to expressly state that he or she does not want their information to be released or their

confirmation of their presence in a facility.

The central HIPAA rule (section 164.508) pertaining to the release of health information

states that a valid authorization for the release of patient information must be in plain language

and contain a specific and meaningful description of the information to be disclosed. The name

of the covered individual authorized to make the disclosure and the name of the covered

person whom the hospital or individual can make the disclosure. A statement of the individual's
right to revoke the authorization in writing and a a statement about the exceptions to the right

to revoke.

A statement that information used or disclosed pursuant to the authorization may be

subject to re0closure by the recipient and no longer be protected by the rule. If the

authorization is signed by a personal representative of the individual, a description of such

representatives authority to act for the individual. The authorization is not valid according to

the privacy rule if the authorization has any of following defects which are expired date or

event has passed. Authorization has not been filled out completely with respect to the required

content. The authorization is known by the covered entity to have been revoked and the

authorization is a prohibited type of compound authorization and if any material information in

the authorization is known by the hospital to be false or inaccurate.

The federal government published the standards for privacy of individually identified

health information on December 28, 2000. These standards are also known as the HIPAA

privacy rule. This rule establishes the standards for information information disclosure