Hospitals have some leeway to disclose patient information under the federal health privacy rules now that coronavirus is a national emergency.
The Department of Health and Human Services issued a bundle of waivers following President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration March 13 allowing entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy rule to bypass provisions they typically must abide by.
Trump Tuesday also said Medicare programs will expand the use of remote consultations through telehealth, and the government won’t enforce HIPAA privacy policies to speed up appointments.
The HHs waivers are aimed at easing the sharing of patient ...