HHS releases HIPAA guidelines for vaccines in the workplace: 4 things to know

Hannah Mitchell -

To clear up a lot of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines and HIPAA, HHS published guidelines Sept. 30 for employees and employers to better understand the privacy rule.

Four things to know:

  1. HIPAA doesn't prohibit businesses or individuals from asking customers about their COVID-19 vaccination status. HIPAA only applies to covered entities, such as hospitals, payers and their business associates.

  2. HIPAA doesn't prevent individuals from disclosing their vaccination status to business owners or employees of an establishment.

  3. HIPAA doesn't block a covered entity or business from requiring its employees to disclose their vaccination status to their employers. HIPAA doesn't apply to employment records — even covered entities — when they are acting in their capacity as employers.

  4. HIPAA does prohibit a physician's office from disclosing protected health information, such as COVID-19 vaccination status, to a patient's employer.

To read more, click here.

 

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