Wiki Emailing patients receipt

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If we take a patients CC info over the phone and process their payment and they ask for a receipt is it a HIPAA violation to email them the receipt?
 
In an article I read on HIPPA compliance for emailing patients unencrypted messages, the advice given was to obtain permission (verbal is okay) from the patient to send an unencrypted email to them and to document the conversation.

When a patient asks for an email obtaining personal information, I tell them the email will come to them unsecured and ask if they are willing to take the risk that it may be viewed by persons other than themselves.

Some say okay and others decline, but at least they have a choice. The other option is to set up a secure email where the patient would have a password.
 
Does this apply to all information? We have patients ask us to email statements quite often, and we tell them we can't. If they know it's not secure and consent to it being sent, can we send those more "in depth PHI" info by email?
 
Does this apply to all information? We have patients ask us to email statements quite often, and we tell them we can't. If they know it's not secure and consent to it being sent, can we send those more "in depth PHI" info by email?
A patient cannot violate HIPAA against themselves; they cannot violate their own privacy. If they choose to have something sent to them by a less-secure method, that is their CHOICE, and therefore there is no violation. Make sure your statements have the minimum amount of PHI necessary. No diagnoses on statements, for example.
 
A patient cannot violate HIPAA against themselves; they cannot violate their own privacy. If they choose to have something sent to them by a less-secure method, that is their CHOICE, and therefore there is no violation. Make sure your statements have the minimum amount of PHI necessary. No diagnoses on statements, for example.
Thank you. Our bills really don't have much info on them whatsoever, date of service, cpt code and description and any payments made.
 
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