With employers planning for employees to return to work following COVID-19–related closures, there are sure to be questions about sharing employee medical information as it relates to COVID-19 (symptoms, test results, status) within the workplace and with public authorities. Now may be a good time…
Dr. Ratul Chatterjee, an independent primary care physician in Huntington Beach, California, would like to banish HIPAA in its current form although he readily admits that his is a radical, politically incorrect, position. He charges that health IT companies, lawyers and lobbyists have made millions…
Workplace safety inspectors are conducting nearly 200 coronavirus-related investigations to determine whether employers failed to adequately protect their workers, according to data from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Half involve employee deaths or hospitalizations. The inspections target nearly 50 hospitals and two dozen nursing homes, including…
A handful of states are reopening for business following coronavirus-triggered lockdowns, raising two compelling questions: Must employers ensure the workplace is safe? And will they be held liable if employees contract the virus? The short answer is that while health care providers must follow federal…
AUSTIN, Texas, April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ In light of the DEA postponing National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription savings destination RxSaver by RetailMeNot™ has outlined alternative ways for people to safely dispose of expired or unused medications. The annual medication disposal event was originally scheduled for…
The rise in COVID-19 cases creates anxiety among physicians and other health professionals who worry they might carry the virus home to their families. This remains top of mind for many people in the medical field, leaving them wondering: How do I keep my family…
One of the best ways to keep you and your family healthy is by properly washing your hands. Despite being taught to wash our hands as children, many of us don’t know the proper techniques for washing our hands correctly, or how often we should…
The privacy watchdog won’t impose penalties on providers who use non-HIPAA-compliant remote communications technology during the public health emergency. The HHS Office for Civil Rights announced on Tuesday that during the coronavirus pandemic it will use discretion when enforcing HIPAA-compliance for telehealth communications tools. Why…
The covid-19 pandemic threatens to create large amounts of new waste, particularly for resource managers at organizations that aren’t in the healthcare sector. Manufacturers, businesses, governments, schools, universities and others that don’t normally deal with potentially infectious waste may be unsure how to respond safely…
HIPAA-related lawsuits came to the attention of Alexander Wolff when a fellow attorney called him with a case a few years ago. The plaintiff was a woman and friend of a man who was dating a nurse. The nurse, who worked at a hospital where…