Description

A detective at the front desk, a subpoena in the fax tray, an urgent call from a public health authority, these moments arrive without warning, and the staff member who handles them has seconds to make a decision with federal penalty implications on both sides. Release too much, and your organization has committed a HIPAA violation. Refuse a legitimate, lawful request, and you may be obstructing an investigation your organization was legally permitted, or required, to assist. Most healthcare organizations have never trained their front-line and compliance staff on where those lines actually sit.

This 60-minute session walks through the law enforcement disclosure framework of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, centered on 45 CFR 164.512(f): what is permitted versus what is required; how to handle court orders, warrants, subpoenas, and administrative requests; the limited identification data that may be shared to locate suspects, fugitives, material witnesses, and missing persons; the special rules for crime victims, incapacitated individuals, on-premises criminal conduct, and deaths suspected to result from crime; and disclosures to public authorities during public health crises and bioterrorism threats. Throughout, it applies the minimum necessary standard and the verification duties that protect your organization even when disclosure is allowed.

Presented by Mark R. Brengelman, a former Kentucky Assistant Attorney General who served as counsel and prosecuting attorney to numerous health profession licensure boards, this session ensures your administrators, compliance officers, auditors, and leadership know both their duties and their rights before law enforcement ever asks. The worst time to learn these rules is with an officer standing in your lobby.

After this webinar attendees will be able to answer-

• When law enforcement requests PHI, what is your organization permitted to disclose, what is it required to disclose, and how do you tell the difference in the moment?
• How do the law enforcement provisions of 45 CFR 164.512(f) apply to court orders, warrants, subpoenas, and administrative requests?
• Which limited data elements, name, address, date of birth, treatment dates, may be shared when law enforcement is identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person?
• What are the rules for victims of crime, incapacitated individuals, deaths suspected to result from criminal activity, and crimes on your premises?
• How do disclosures work during public health emergencies and bioterrorism threats, when timely information sharing can be critical?
• How does the minimum necessary standard limit what you hand over even when a disclosure is permitted?
• How must staff verify the identity and authority of a law enforcement requestor before releasing anything?

This webinar benefits the following agencies-

• Hospitals and Health Systems
• Physician Practices and Medical Groups
• Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Centers
• Behavioral Health and Substance Use Treatment Facilities
• Long-Term Care and Home Health Agencies
• Health Information Management and Release-of-Information Vendors

Who should attend?

• Hospital and Practice Administrators
• Chief Compliance Officers, HIPAA Privacy Officers, and Compliance Officers
• Internal Auditors and Privacy Audit Professionals
• C-Suite Executives (CEOs, COOs, General Counsel, Chief Medical Officers)
• Health Information Management and Medical Records Directors
• Front-Office and Patient Access Leadership