U.S Department of Health and Human Services has issued the following guidance on privacy protections in the event of a Coronavirus outbreak:
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Alert: Effective
immediately, telehealthcare is in.
In announcing that medical providers would be empowered to
serve patients wherever they are during this national public health emergency,
U.S. Office for Civil Rights Director Roger Severino noted special concern for people with disabilities.
In a new
memo,
OCR expressly allows “good faith” efforts to deliver patient care through telehealth without fear of privacy penalties. Simultaneously,
Medicare announced expanded coverage to include telehealth services. Modern Healthcare reports
that the Trump Administration is also asking state Medicaid agencies to offer telehealth services, as they don't require federal approval.
Applications for delivery of care could include video chats such as Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts video, or Skype, to see patients without risk of potential
penalties under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). So-called “public-facing” applications, such as Facebook Live, Twitch and TikTok, should not be used for telehealth.
Despite the easing of rules, medical providers should protect privacy to the extent possible. For example, when possible, encryption and privacy modes should be enabled. In addition, OCR
encourages providers to notify individuals that their privacy could potentially be compromised when opting for virtual visits for wide purposes such as treatment, diagnosis, dental consultation or psychological evaluation.
Questions about this bulletin may be directed to: Diane
Evans at devans@myhipaaguide.com
MyHIPAA Guide is a comprehensive program, including consulting, designed to achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance. Further inquiries can be made via
devans@myhipaaguide.com
or
mbermea@myhipaaguide.com.
Disclaimer: MyHIPAA Guide newsletters are for informational purposes only, and often cover highlights
of federal government announcements. The newsletter is not intended as a complete record of compliance-related changes and recommendations. Website:
https://hipaa.opra.org |
--
Diane Evans
Publisher, MyHIPAA Guide
Website:
MyHIPAAGuide.com
Residential Services Website:
hipaa.opra.org
Cell:
330-990-1470
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