Who’s Using My Data? HIPAA and Allowed Uses

Privacy of health information is receiving a significant spotlight as a result of big technology companies moving into the healthcare industry. While Amazon and Microsoft seem to slip past many headlines, Google is not in the same boat. Various arrangements between Google and systems including the Mayo Clinic, University of Chicago, and Ascension draw concern and fears of Google just taking multitudes of personal information about thousands or millions of individuals. Is the use and obtaining of data inconsistent with regulatory requirements, or is there a permissible basis? Despite the most common statement being that Google is stepping around HIPAA, the most likely answer is that Google (and really many other technology based vendors) can receive the data as a business associate.