Privacy Of Medical Records May Be Limited

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - By law, how confidential is your medical information? Not always as confidential as you may think.

A tweet, apparently written by someone at West Chester Medical Center, sent out last month after the birth of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold's baby said: Congrats @blakelively. Glad to have you and baby girl Violet in our care.

That's sweet. Also, likely illegal.

Under the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), medical records maintained by health care providers and health plans require privacy in the maintenance and electronic transmission of records, including even the transmission of a patient's name or the services rendered (like the birthing). The hospital employee may well be fired or fined for the release.

But, you need to know that not all of your medical records are governed by HIPAA.

Employers, who may receive details about your medical conditions for leave are not governed by HIPAA, nor are your child's school records, or information contained in your financial records like credit card bills with information about your cosmetic surgery price tag.

But, the more frequent release of medical information comes when you agree to let the doctors disclose info to your insurance company and others - in the forms you sign without reading when you visit the doctor.

So if your nurse has her cell phone in her hand when she asks, can I congratulate you? You might want to tell her to keep her tweeting hands to herself.