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Originally Posted by Easy Mac
Wouldn't HIPAA have been violated in the alleged instances of collectors showing up at bed sides or confronting people awaiting care? They wouldn't have known to go after these people without being alerted by hospital staff or some system that dings whenever someone checked into the facility. But you can't release information about people currently in the hospital/receiving healthcare without their written consent. Even if it's presumed the person wouldn't pay their bill, it doesn't mean you can violate their right of privacy to get them to pay a past due bill. I would gather you would need to wait until after that bill is past due before alerting the agency.
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The volume of the compliance review that deals with privacy violations doesn't mention that specifically. My guess is that the reason that's the case is because of this:
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Fairview is a “health care provider.” It is comprised of hospitals and clinics that furnish
health care services in the normal course of business. Accretive is also a “health care provider”
with respect to Fairview patients. Accretive employs nurses and social workers through its
QTCC contract who provide counseling services to Fairview patients.
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