In recent days, there has been a flurry of news stories about the latest actual and potential Ebola sufferers in the United States. The media has shared their names and photographs, and even images of one of the Dallas nurses being escorted into an ambulance.
Today, my colleagues in the Firm's Health Law Practice issued an important Alert about the potential Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) issues around releasing the identities of individuals in the United States who are suffering from Ebola, and who is and who is not authorized to release that information. Employers that are covered by HIPAA and maintain protected health information (PHI) need to be mindful that the HIPAA rules don't change because of controversial, highly dangerous diseases. We will continue to bring you updates about Ebola and its implications for employers as this issue continues to develop.
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