SCHOOLS & HIPAA
Educational institutions, including public schools and universities are specifically affected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in a variety of areas. Any educational organization that utilizes healthcare personnel (nurses, doctors or counselors) in its daily operations, administers medications to students, deals with medical information (physical or mental) or implements a group health plan for employees should be concerned with HIPAA compliance.
National School Board Association
“ . . . . individual notes of a physical therapist or a school psychologist about a student are not records protected by FERPA but might be governed by HIPAA . . ” NSBA Council of School Attorneys – “Inquiry & Analysis” (January 2003)
CDC (HHS)
Rather there is an exception to the definition of PHI…” [which] “means …that the HIPAA requirements regarding PHI do apply to any PHI in the school that is not an education record under FERPA.” (CDC / UNIV. OF N.C. OPINION)
Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)
. . The long and short of it is that virtually all public school districts will be affected, [by HIPAA], directly or indirectly, due to their status as employers, providers of medical services to students, or processors of medical claims for themselves or other entities, or because they have business relationships with covered entities . . . . (TASB – Jan-Feb 2003)
Texas Department of Human Services
. . . . School nurses, school-based health clinics, and local education agencies (LEAs) may be regulated by the HIPAA privacy rule . . .
HIPAA ComplyPAK for Education
ComplyPAK For Higher Education (PDF)
ComplyPAK Implementation In Schools & Universities (PDF)
PHI Locator (Tracking Protected Health Information) (PDF)
HIPAA COMPLIANCE VULNERABILITY SCHOOLS (PDF)
HIPAA Solutions Difference Schools (PDF)
FERPA and HIPAA In Schools (PDF)