Does HIPAA apply to individuals?
<p>Does HIPAA privacy protection apply to an individual who has no relation to the healthcare field?</p>
<p>For example, my neighbor drops his prescription pill bottle on the sidewalk outside his house. I pick it up and return it. Would me telling someone else about his prescription be a HIPAA violation or just a jerk move?</p>

<p>It would merely be a &quot;jerk move&quot;.</p>
<p>HIPAA only applies to &quot;covered entities&quot;:</p>
<ol>
<li>Healthcare Providers</li>
<li>Health Plans</li>
<li>Healthcare Clearing Houses (i.e. Paying for your health care)</li>
<li>Business Associates of the Above)</li>
</ol>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CDC page on HIPAA</a></p>

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