Is an authorization required by anyone before we make a disclosure about child abuse?
HIPAA Weekly Advisor, April 18, 2005
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIPAA Weekly Advisor!
No authorization is required as long as the information is disclosed to a public health authority or other appropriate government agency authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect.
The regulations define a "public health authority" as
- an agency or authority of the United States
- a state, a territory, a political subdivision of a state or territory
- an Indian tribe
- a person or entity acting under a grant of authority from or contract with such public agency, including the employees or agents of such public agency or its contractors or persons or entities to whom it has granted authority, that is responsible for public health matters as part of its official mandate
Go to Section 164.512(b) Uses and Disclosures for Public Health Activities for more information.
Editor's Note: Attorneys from Bricker and Eckler, LLP answered this question. This is not legal advice. Please consult your attorney for legal matters.
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to HIPAA Weekly Advisor!
Related Products
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- Catch up on what's new with injections and infusions
- Topic: CMS, OESS post new security compliance review information, checklist
- Capturing all necessary codes for IUD insertion and removal can be challenging
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- QA:Coding multiple initial infusions
- News and briefs: Oklahoma Osteopathic Association against residency bill change
- HIPAA Q&A: Level of encryption needed for email
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- E-mailed
-
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- Catch up on what's new with injections and infusions
- New conflicts of interest create new challenges
- Q/A. One injection code or two?
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- ED-to-inpatient transfers are flawed with safety gaps
- Joint Commission Center announces handoff communication solutions
- Inside best practice: Reduce patient falls with a stoplight
- Identify modifiable risk factors to prevent patient falls
- Searched