Office for Civil Rights COVID-19 Updates on HIPAA and Anti-Discrimination Laws

Healthcare providers and other entities subject to regulation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) should review recent guidance, notices, and bulletins from OCR addressing compliance with privacy and non-discrimination laws during the COVID-19 national public health emergency.  Below is a summary of recent publications from OCR about what the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and anti-discrimination laws require of covered entities, and particularly healthcare providers, during the coronavirus pandemic.