News-At-A-Glance: HIPAA Privacy in Emergencies

n a November bulletin in response to the Ebola outbreak, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is seeking to ensure that violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) do not occur during emergency situations. The bulletin reminds providers that HIPAA is not set aside during such an emergency and explains the requirements and exceptions that could apply during an emergency. The bulletin should be required reading for privacy and security compliance officers. Emergency situations such as Ebola may cause breaches of HIPAA because of the personal beliefs of an employee or overzealous members of the media looking for a story. Compliance professionals should re-educate employees about the privacy rule provisions and what exceptions may apply in their institution. This can help reduce the potential for a breach. The bulletin and other information about HIPAA in emergency situations can be found on the OCR Web site at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/index.html.