Disclosure of Medical Information and HIV Status

[Tranquil]

Is a medical provider allowed to disclose diagnosis and treatment information about a specific patient to a third party collection agency without written release of information? Also, what about stuff like mental health diagnosis and HIV complications?

State: Colorado

[Mr. Knowitall]

It's possible to set up an agency relationship between a medical services provider and a debt collector, such that there are no HIPAA issues involved in the sharing of patient information from accounts in collection. As collections are deemed to be payment activity under HIPAA, your consent is not required.