What are HIPAA rights?

Many may have concerns over HIPAA rights when choosing whether to take the COVID vaccine--but what information is actually covered by HIPAA?

HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. The statute’s main concern was not, in fact, privacy, but modernization of the flow of health care information.  One part of HIPAA does cover privacy. The Privacy Rule stipulates that so-called "protected health information" should not be disclosed without the individual’s consent by certain organizations, called "covered entities." These include health plans, health care providers, health care clearinghouses, and business associates. Business associates refers to "a person or organization, other than a member of a covered entity's workforce, that performs certain functions or activities on behalf of, or provides certain services to, a covered entity that involve the use or disclosure of individually identifiable health information." In other words, your doctor can’t release your medical records without your consent. It does not mean that you cannot be questioned about your vaccination status.