Abusing HIPAA

I have to cringe when people claim their HIPAA rights have been violated because a business asks for their vaccine status. Their claims in no way relate to HIPAA.

HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. Many health and mental health professionals worked to develop this law. I was on one of many committees around the country that helped to develop this law.

HIPAA originated partly due to HIV/AIDS. Many of us realized that ER doctors, EMTs and police were relaying HIV status over their radios. This was commonplace in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. Everyone who came into the ERs was known by their “status” whether negative or positive.

HIPAA requires that medical professionals cannot disclose your personal health information without written permission, even to other health professionals. Thus the start of “universal precautions” in which health care providers assume anyone could be HIV positive and then use protection during treatment of all patients regardless of their “status.”

I can ask anyone I want what their vaccination status is and anyone can refuse to answer. If I were a business owner, I have every right to ask and I have every right to “refuse service to anyone.” Get over it, folks, but please quit abusing HIPAA as your reasoning. It is completely inaccurate.

Frankly, if you don’t like the restrictions, get vaccinated.

Beverly Gibb

Spokane