HIPAA Provision for Public Health Reporting
HIPAA Provision for Public Health Reporting:
The Three Rivers District Health Department is an agency of the State of Nebraska and is conducting the activity described there in its capacity as a public health authority as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information; Final Rule (Privacy Rule) [45 CFR - 164.501]. Pursuant to 45 CFR - 164.512(b) of the Privacy Rule, covered entities such as your organization may disclose, without individual authorization, protected health information to public health authorities "…authorized by law to collect or receive such information for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability, including, but not limited to, the reporting of disease, injury, vital events such as birth or death, and the conduct of public health surveillance, public health investigations, and public health interventions…"The Three Rivers District Health Department is conducting investigation on a patient with a reportable disease (as defined by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure), a public health activity as described by 45 CFR - 164.512(b), and is authorized by Neb. Rev. Stat. -71-503.01. The information being requested represents the minimum necessary to carry out the public health purposes of this activity pursuant to 45 CFR - 164.514(d) of the Privacy Rule.