Republican Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia declined to disclose her COVID vaccination status on Tuesday, after a reporter asked her about it at a press conference.
Green recently suspended Twitter in order to Spread misinformation About the COVID vaccine and diseases on social networks.
She declined to discuss her vaccine status as some private companies in the United States are asking customers about their vaccine status, because in most cases the removal of mask requirements only applies to people who are fully vaccinated. CDC Guidelines.
Claim
When Green was asked by reporters about her vaccine status, she Refuse to answer questions, Saying it “infringes my HIPAA rights.”
On July 20, she said: “With HIPAA rights, we don’t have to disclose our medical records. This also involves our vaccine records.”
Green has made similar claims in the past. In May, she wrote on Twitter: “Due to HIPPA rights, Vax records and all medical records are private.”
fact
HIPAA is a federal law Designed to protect the privacy of citizens By restricting health information Can be made public. It also provides the right to access your own health records.
One aspect of HIPAA is Privacy rulesThe basic principle is that organizations to which this rule applies cannot disclose protected health information (PHI) unless permitted by the rule or unless authorized by the protected citizen.
Protected health information is defined as any data that can identify a person and is related to an individual’s past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition; provide medical care to an individual; or provide the cost of that medical care to an individual.
When answering whether Green’s statement is wrong, there are two points to consider. One is that HIPAA rules only apply to certain healthcare entities, not everyone. Entities that must comply with HIPAA rules include health plan providers and healthcare providers, as well as affiliates of such businesses.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), employers, most law enforcement agencies, and most schools are not required to comply with HIPAA laws.
The second point is that HIPAA transfers control to people who are discussing health information. This means that individuals can decide whether to disclose their health information when asked, and just being asked does not necessarily violate HIPAA.
Weekly newspaper Green, CDC and HHS have been contacted for comments.
A kind CDC The spokesperson published a fact-checking article to Reuters in May about whether companies requesting the status of COVID-19 vaccines violated HIPAA: “Individuals can choose whether to provide vaccination cards to anyone who asks for it.” The spokesperson said , Private companies have the right to request vaccination status.
ruling
Incorrect.
Greene’s claim that being asked about her vaccination status violated her HIPAA rights is wrong.
HIPAA rules prevent certain entities from improperly disclosing your health information. The rules do not mean that no one can ask for your health information.
Newsweek fact check
Alex Wong/Getty
