Q:
I often receive telephone calls with the caller inquiring
about whether or not a field employee works for our office.
I always tell the caller that I cannot release employee
information without a written release. The last caller
was belligerent and asked why. I responded that I had
to comply with HIPAA. The caller told me that HIPAA has
nothing to do with employees. Was he right?
A: In this situation the caller
was correct – HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act) does not apply to employee information.
However, you were correct not to release employee information
– or even confirm employment of a field employee
without a written release or verbal permission from the
field employee.
In the same way that we respect
the confidentiality of our clients we also respect the
confidentiality of our employees. Also, sometimes a caller
seeking employee information may be an estranged spouse,
a creditor or even someone who wants to serve a subpoena.
Your question leads to a good reminder
for all offices – we should never give information
out on an employee or even verify employment without a
written release or verbal permission from the employee.
You never know who is really on the other end of the telephone
line or what they may want the information for.
Thank you for the question! Nori
Response
from the Office Administrative Assistant: Thanks Nori,
you were correct – the caller was actually someone
from a “rent a car” place who wanted to send
a bill to us for the employee’s rental car! I am
really glad I did not give out any information.
