DEAR DR. ROACH: I am confused about how HIPAA applies to my medical information. Some people are saying they don't have to tell people if they have been vaccinated or not or respond to an employer that is requiring the vaccine to go back to work or to businesses that may require vaccination for entry. I always thought HIPAA applied to doctors and insurance companies and was about providing my health information to third parties without my authorization, not about me providing that information directly. Can you please explain who's correct? -- D.L.G.
ANSWER: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was passed by Congress in 1996 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It was designed to protect health coverage for people who change jobs, required medical providers to give patients access to their personal health information, and required medical providers to protect the privacy of health information. HIPAA applies to health plans, clearinghouses and providers. In my role as a physician, I must comply with HIPAA. However, most employers and businesses, such as cruise lines, are not HIPAA-covered entities, so HIPAA does not apply. A business is free to require vaccination, and you are free to refuse and take your business elsewhere, if you so choose.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
Last week, a special feature was published of tips on how to save at the grocery store. The goal is to cut costs on items you are already purchasing, but make it simple.
Saving Money on a Weekly Grocery Trip Can Be Easy! Here's How
The items pictured were actual purchases and the last photo highlighted additional deals, at both Kroger and Publix, that may be beneficial to the majority.
Did you find this helpful? Let us know in the comments how it was helpful and/or how it can be improved!
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.