The federal stimulus package expanded privacy rights under HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Will the changes apply to workers’ compensation?
Although HIPAA puts strict controls on disclosure of an individual’s private health information (PHI), the law allows disclosures of PHI in these instances:
- "to comply with laws relating to workers’ compensation or similar programs…that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness without regard to fault."
- "if…required by state or other law…"
- "for the purpose of obtaining payment for any health care provided to an injured or ill employee.”
About 6.9 million illegal immigrants work in the United States, the Center for Immigration Studies found in a 2007 study. About 55 percent of these workers have provided their employer a Social Security card, although it may be fraudulent, the report’s author told Business Insurance magazine. What does illegal immigration mean for your workers’ compensation insurance?
Read more about Illegal Workers Rights to Compensation Benefits.