Apparently HIPAA Stops Companies from telling customers if their staff has been vaccinated

[PuppyBismark]

Last edited Mon Mar 22, 2021, 10:53 PM - Edit history (2)

I called an amusement company that has less than 10 employees and which has to have close contact with the customer and asked if everyone has been vaccinated. The owner told me he could not provide that information because of HIPAA rules. Well this is going to be an issue to many customers all over the country.

I did a quick Google search which indicated if the employees permitted, the owner could disclose that information. A more controversial subject is if a company could require proof of vaccination to continue employment. Likewise, it may soon be the case that proof of vaccination may be required to fly.

[SheltieLover]

1. Ffs!

[Ocelot II]

2. I should think a company could require vaccination as a condition of employment.

My last job before retirement required drug testing; I had to pee in a cup before I was officially hired. This is a pretty common practice where the job is safety-related and it's entirely legal. Seems to me that where a job involves regular close contact with the public or even with other employees, the employer could require vaccination for safety/public health reasons, just like drug testing.

[jimfields33]

5. Until full FDA approval, mandatory anything won't happen

After full approval, then you will see many mandatory issuances. As far as giving out medical history, I’m glad they are not. Yes I’ll be vaccinated, but if they allow for this information to be released, what’s next.

[Calista241]

19. The problem is you'll likely need a booster in a few years. It'll be similar to the flu shot,

where everyone (that wants one) has to get a flu shot every fall. In addition, one you pee in a cup (or give blood) for a company, there's all kinds of things they could look for and deny you employment for. I'm not a fan of peeing in a cup.

[likesmountains 52]

3. HIPAA

[CurtEastPoint]

4. It's HIPAA. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

[Yavin4]

6. It doesn't matter if employees are vaccinated or not.

Vaccinated people can still carry the virus and spread it around. That's why the CDC tells people to still wear a mask after vaccination.

[Ocelot II]

8. It now looks like the Pfizer vaccine does mostly prevent asymptomatic spread.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/vaccines-prevent-asymptomatic-infection-key-ending-pandemic-rcna444 Of course more research is necessary but it does appear that being vaccinated might also keep you from spreading the virus.

[Yavin4]

11. "might" is not the same as "will".

Also, we don't know who gets which vaccine.

In the end, it does not matter.

[Ocelot II]

12. That's why I said more research is needed.

[USALiberal]

17. You said "people can still" which is guessing also! nt

[Hoyt]

7. I think a company can say they "require employees to get vaccinated." Although I doubt

anyone would file a complaint (at least hope not), a company probably shouldn't say "Joe Blow is vaccinated, but his stupid trumperster brother it not."

[Ocelot II]

9. Yes, there's a difference between requiring vaccination as a condition of employment

and publicizing which individual employees have been vaccinated, which probably would violate HIPAA. If a business states that all of its employees are required to be vaccinated, would that violate HIPAA? One could infer that if a particular person works for that business, he/she must have been vaccinated.

[Hoyt]

13. I'd have a hard time imposing a fine on a company that said their employees were vaccinated,

because that's a good thing.

Now if a company said all their employees had been treated for syphilis or something, that might get a company fined.

Interestingly, the government agency that overseas HIPPA complaints is the Office of Civil Rights.

[GusBob]

10. Yes it is a private medical issue

I dont have a problem with it at all

Would you want to know if female employees were on birth control? Or HIV positive?

People who don’t understand HIPAA always spell it wrong by the way

[obamanut2012]

18. This

[Jirel]

20. Not in a pandemic, it ain't.

Easy fix - amend HIPAA to exclude group (not individually identifiable) information on infection and vaccination.

[GusBob]

21. You should get right on that

if it is so easy

[uppityperson]

14. HIPAA is a good thing, use universal precautions (assume everyone else might have

it, or at least not be vaccinated).

[Treefrog]

15. HIPAA.

Come on folks, this isn’t that hard.

[RockRaven]

16. Companies should require unvaccinated employees (regardless of reason) to wear masks.

It is both a customer safety and workplace safety issue, apart from wider public health implications.

I don't give a fuck the why of the non vaccination, the why doesn't erase the difference in risk to customers and coworkers and self.