In light of the recent incident in Las Vegas, the Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”), the government entity responsible for HIPAA Compliance, issued clarification guidance on the ability of a health care provider to share patient information during such situations. While such incidents are taxing on health care providers in terms of treating capacity and ability, it is important that providers keep in mind the requirements of HIPAA regarding the disclosure of certain information to the public. A summary of OCR’s recent clarification is provided below, as it serves as a good reminder regarding what information can be shared under HIPAA in these types of mass-casualty, disaster scenarios.

Originally published in the Medical Association of the State of Alabama - October 2017.