Not sure if the law has changed any but I was under the impression that the HIPAA only applied to the Doctors , RN and LPN's themselves . Only those that held a State license.
Not that long ago we had a local busybody working as a doctors receptionest and aid. She knew everyones problems and treatment in town and had a big mouth. Occasionally complaints would come in to the Doctor about how private information was now subject to rumor in our small town. Hell of a mess, until the receptionest talked to the wrong person in confidence about a mutual friend. Receptionest was fired, and went to work in the next town, she was not arrested or charged with anything. --------She did not have any kind of medical license to loose, she was just the receptionest and filing clerk who , when curious about someone she knew could pull their records and see what was ailing them.
Seems to me a Doctor that talks to a spouse about their cases is also covered under the Court rule that a spouse cannot be forced to testify against that spouse. How can the poster get in trouble with posting about a case that disturbes them both as no names, no town, no indirect or direct identification of the patients are used ???
This HIPPA is a crank your balls law, when you sign a privacy statement it also says the Medical staff can release your records to the insurance company, law enforcement and to the billing department to make sure you pay. Get brought into the ER with a bullet or stab wound, you bet your ass the police will be called. Take a child into a Doctor with suspicious broken bones, or a school nurse sees suspicious bruises on a child, patient privacy no longer exists.
