HIPAA Privacy Regulations: General Rules for Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information: Confidential Communications - § 164.502(h)
As Contained in the HHS HIPAA Privacy Rules
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HHS Regulations |
Standard: confidential communications. A covered health care provider or health plan must comply with the applicable requirements of § 164.522(b) in communicating protected health information.
| HHS Description Confidential Communications |
In the NPRM, we did not directly address the issue of whether an individual could request that a covered entity restrict the manner in which it communicated with the individual. The NPRM did provide individuals with the right to request that health care providers restrict uses and disclosures of protected health information for treatment, payment and health operations, but providers were not required to agree to such a restriction.
In the final rule, we require covered providers to accommodate reasonable requests by patients about how the covered provider communicates with the individual. For example, an individual who does not want his or her family members to know about a certain treatment may request that the provider communicate with the individual at his or her place of employment, or to send communications to a designated address. Covered providers must accommodate the request unless it is unreasonable. Similarly, the final rule permits individuals to request that health plans communicate with them by alternative means, and the health plan must accommodate such a request if it is reasonable and the individual states that disclosure of the information could endanger the individual. The specific provisions relating to confidential communications are in § 164.522.
| HHS Response to Comments Received Confidential Communications |
Comments on confidential communications are addressed in the preamble to § 164.522(b).