HIPAA: Hurricanes Make HIPAA Hard to Follow

Why This Topic Matters

During disasters, healthcare organizations still need to balance patient privacy with emergency operations, public health reporting, and temporary federal flexibilities. Understanding the general framework helps compliance teams prepare for disruptions without assuming normal rules are entirely unchanged.

Article Sections

1. Background

   Provides context on the 2017 hurricane events and the large-scale impact on affected states and territories. It also notes the strain on healthcare infrastructure and emergency response resources.

2. Public health crisis

   Describes the federal public health emergency declarations and the related waiver framework discussed in the article. It includes the affected jurisdictions and the timing of those declarations.

3. Remember These 1135 Waiver Rules

   Summarizes the general conditions surrounding temporary HIPAA-related flexibilities during emergencies. It covers the types of privacy requirements mentioned in the federal guidance and the limited scope of the waiver period.

4. Keep Abreast of Your State’s Regulations

   Reviews the article’s discussion of state-law considerations and public health disclosures. It also references OCR guidance and the broad categories of recipients and purposes described there.

5. Reminder

   Reinforces the need to continue safeguarding privacy during disaster response. The section emphasizes that emergency flexibilities do not eliminate all privacy obligations.