Pathology/Lab Coding Alert

Question: I heard there’s a new rule about sharing data under HIPAA. Is that true, and if so, what is it?

Codify Subscriber

Answer: There’s not a new rule, but the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently released a frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) set to better clarify patient data sharing between two separate health plans.

The FAQ supports better care coordination between health plans and surrounds the uses and disclosures of patients’ protected health information (PHI), according to the release. There are only two questions and answers, but the OCR gives in-depth explanations with references to the related parts in the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Both answers offer scenarios to help covered entities (CEs) understand what is and what is not allowed.

Check out the FAQs at  www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/3014/uses-and-disclosures-for-care-coordination-and-continuity-of-care/index.html.