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In order to raise awareness about the HIPAA Privacy Regulations, the HIPAA Training and Education Committee will respond to, and distribute, one frequently asked question each week. If you have any questions regarding the HIPAA Privacy Regulations, you may submit them to the University's Privacy Official at oucompliance@ouhsc.edu or (405) 271-2511.

HIPAA FAQs 1. What is the purpose of the HIPAA Privacy Regulations? 2. What’s the deal with all the new acronyms? What’s “PHI” or a “BA”, “OHCA”, or a “CE”? 3. I’ve heard that the Privacy Regulations give patients new rights. What are they? 4. What new administrative requirements is the University required to implement? 5. When is a covered entity required to obtain an authorization to use and disclose a patient’s protected health information? 6. Can covered entities exchange information with each other for treatment, payment and health care operations without requiring the patient to sign an authorization? 7. Is patient authorization required to use and disclose protected health information for research? 8. What is meant when people refer to the “minimum necessary” requirement? 9. What are the ways that patient confidentiality is most often violated? 10. What happens if we violate the Privacy Regulations? 11. Can clinics continue to place patient charts in the plastic box outside an exam room? 12. Will the Privacy Rule permit a provider who is a covered entity to disclose a complete medical record even though portions of the record were created by other providers? 13. Can physician offices use patient sign-in sheets or call out the names of patients in their waiting rooms? 14. When can I disclose information in response to a subpoena or to a request to testify in a legal proceeding? 15. Health care providers are often asked by patients to complete forms such as FMLA requests, return to work forms, sick notes and sports eligibility forms. What is the best way to handle these requests? 16. What parts of the University are required to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Regulations? 17. The University's Safeguard Policy states that "particularly sensitive health information" should not be discussed on cell phone or faxed and should not be left on answering machines. What is "particularly sensitive health information"? 18. Who can act as a personal representative of an adult under Oklahoma law? 19. Who can act as a personal representative of a minor under Oklahoma law? 20. Are University employees required to verify a person's identity prior to releasing protected health information to them? 21. What is the Notice of Privacy Practices and what are we supposed to do with it? 22. What should we tell patients about the Notice of Privacy Practices? 23. When a patient requests access to his/her records, does that include records received from other providers? 24. If a patient requests to inspect or obtain a copy of his/her records, do we have to accommodate the request immediately while the patient waits? 25. Is a patient entitled to inspect or obtain a copy of his/her entire medical record?

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