HIPAA Q&A: Outgoing mail
HIPAA Weekly Advisor, December 7, 2009
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Q. We have a small outgoing mailbox in our building. The post office will not add another mailbox. It told us to put the excess outgoing mail (e.g., patient statements) in one of its sorter boxes next to the building mailbox for pickup. Is this a HIPAA violation?
A. It depends on how secure the sorter boxes are. If they are locked boxes, this would be an acceptable practice. If they are open boxes left unattended throughout the day, this probably isn’t a good practice. It would be better to take the outgoing mail to a locked mailbox or a nearby post office for mailing.
Editor’s note: Mary D. Brandt, MBA, RHIA, CHE, CHPS, answered this question. This is not legal advice. Consult your attorney regarding legal matters.
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