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ARTICLE · 05 OCTOBER 2021

HHS OCR Issues Guidance On HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccinations, And The Workplace

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On September 30, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance to help the public understand...

United StatesPrivacy
Colin Zick
Colin Zick
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On September 30, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued  guidance to help the public understand when the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule applies to disclosures and requests for information about whether a person has received a COVID-19 vaccine.

The guidance reminds the public that the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not apply to employers or employment records. This is because the HIPAA Privacy Rule only applies to HIPAA covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers that conduct standard electronic transactions), and, in some cases, to their business associates.

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