The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently issued guidance regarding the application of HIPAA to requests for information about COVID-19 vaccines. Specifically, the guidance reminds us that HIPPA applies only to HIPPA covered entities, such as health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers that conduct standard electronic transactions (and in some cases, their business associates), not employers or employment records. The guidance goes further to address common workplace scenarios and answer frequently asked questions.

“We are issuing this guidance to help consumers, businesses, and health care entities understand when HIPAA applies to disclosures about COVID-19 vaccination status and to ensure that they have the information they need to make informed decisions about protecting themselves and others from COVID-19,” said OCR Director Lisa Pino.

Click here to read the full guidance.

Please contact us if you have any questions about what this means for your own policies or procedures or would like to inquire further about our new COVID-19 Vaccination Management Solutions for Employers.