Q&A: Treating out-of-country patients

Q: If an out-of-country patient comes into our ER, must we be cognizant of his or her home country’s healthcare privacy laws?

A:. No. Your organization is bound by federal laws/regulations and those of the state in which you operate. Laws of the patient’s native country do not apply when the patient seeks healthcare in the U.S.

Editor's note: Mary D. Brandt, MBA, RHIA, CHE, CHPS, is a healthcare consultant specializing in healthcare regulatory compliance and operations improvement. She is also an advisory board member for Briefings on HIPAA. This information does not constitute legal advice. Consult legal counsel for answers to specific privacy and security questions.