Is Mailing Lab Results a HIPAA Violation?

Is mailing lab results a HIPAA violation? It depends. In some cases, mailing a patient’s test results will not violate HIPAA. In other cases, it is not. Depending on the circumstances, mailing a patient’s lab results can be a good idea. However, if mailing a patient’s lab results is unavoidable, you might want to consider other methods.

One of the easiest ways to avoid a HIPAA violation is to call patients prior to mailing them their results. This can be done by calling them before sending their insurance cards. It can also be done by emailing the results. The main reason for sending a patient’s test results by mail is to ensure privacy and security. HIPAA compliance is the minimum standard, but it can be further enhanced by more stringent privacy practices. For example, calling a patient before mailing the results can ensure a happier patient.

It is also important to consider whether mailing lab results constitutes a HIPAA violation. A complaint can be made to OCR without the necessity of submitting a formal investigation. The OCR may respond by offering compliance advice. In some cases, however, a complaint must be filed in a timely manner before OCR can take any action. The complaint process can take anywhere from a few days to several months.