Journalists’ guide to HIPAA during COVID-19: Reporters and news organizations seeking information related to the COVID-19 pandemic have frequently been told by government agencies and officials, as well as private entities in the health care system (such as nursing homes), that HIPAA prevents them from releasing certain information. But HIPAA’s applicability and scope are often misunderstood, resulting in the public being deprived of important information about the pandemic, including state and local governments’ preparedness and responses. This guide from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is intended to help journalists better understand what the federal health privacy law does and does not cover, given that many exceptions to the law do allow for (or in some cases require) the release of information related to COVID-19.
