HIPAA does not apply to everyone. It only applies to what the Act calls a "covered entity," which basically includes:

Health care providers.

Health plans. This includes Medicare and Medicaid.

Business associates of health care providers and plans. These provide billing, claims processing, or other services.

This leaves out many others who may obtain medical information about you and your family.

Some examples of organizations that are not covered by HIPAA are life insurance companies, employers, school districts, law enforcement agencies, and many state and municipal agencies. Therefore, the medical information you disclose in your life insurance application, or medical information you give to your child's school, is not protected under HIPAA.

If you let your friend know that you have a particular medical condition, and that friend passes that information to someone else, there is no HIPAA violation because HIPAA does not apply to your friend.

So you see that HIPAA does NOT PROTECT YOU as it only applies to healthcare entities and their associates.

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