What is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act?

Health Care Provider Compliance: Medical providers who treat injured workers must provide the medical information necessary to allow Beacon to process the claim of the injured worker. The provider might have concerns with patient confidentiality. However, the law obligates the provider to provide this information. R.I.G.L. Section 28-33-5 et seq. HIPAA is inapplicable. 67 C.F.R. 53199, 45 C.F.R. 164.512, 45 C.F.R. 160.103. In fact, HIPAA specifically states, "the rule is not intended to impede the flow of health information that is needed by employees, workers' compensation carriers, or state officials in order to process or adjudicate claims and/or coordinate care under the workers' compensation system."

Beacon protects the privacy of confidential health care information and it is only used and disclosed as permitted by law.

Providing medical records to the insurance carrier for workers' compensation claims is supported in The Health Care Communication and Information act with an exclusion directly related to workers' compensation claims. Regulations exclude workers' compensation from the applicability of HIPAA.