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Marjorie Taylor Greene says 'asking for vaccination status' violates HIPAA, dubbed 'ignorant'

Marjorie Taylor Greene gave a rather 'odd' reason for not disclosing her vaccination status and became a target of trolls on social media

Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene gave a rather 'odd' reason for not disclosing her vaccination status and became a target of trolls on social media. Following her temporary suspension from Twitter, Greene held a press conference On Tuesday, July 20. During the press conference, a reporter asked her if she had been vaccinated. Greene flagged the question as 'violation of HIPAA rights'.

Marjorie Taylor Greene was suspended from Twitter for 'spreading misinformation about COVID-19. Answering the reporter's question, Greene refused to disclose her vaccination status and said, "Your first question is a violation of my HIPAA rights." She added, "You see, with HIPAA rights, we don’t have to reveal our medical records and that also involves our vaccine records." Marjorie Taylor Greene's Twitter account was suspended for 12 hours on July 19. The suspension came after she posted two tweets about Covid-19, which were blatantly false.

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Is asking someone's vaccination status a HIPAA rights violation?

The HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, and health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. It enables patients from having sensitive medical information disclosed without their consent or knowledge. 

An individual's vaccination status comes within the "provision of care" classification of health information that should be protected when it is combined with other identifying personal details (eg. name, social security number, etc.) Protected health information is referred to as PHI. Vaccination information comes under the category of PHI and is covered by the HIPAA Rules. However, HIPAA applies only to HIPAA-covered agencies, which are healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses – and their business associates. An employer asking an employee about their vaccination status or a reporter asking a political figure/celebrity about their vaccination status is not a HIPAA violation.

'Asking me how I’m doing is HIPAA violation'

People mocked Marjorie Taylor Greene for her statement and flooded Twitter with their 'versions' of HIPAA violations. One user wrote, "Taking my parking space when you saw I had my blinker on is a violation of my HIPAA rights." Another tweeted, "Asking me when I’m going to complete that work project is a HIPAA violation." One tweet read, "Expecting me to read/reply to emails when I’m off work is a HIPAA violation." Another user commented, "When people ask me if I’m having another kid “to try for a boy” it’s a violation of my HIPAA rights." One user tweeted, "When people look at my 3 boys + baby daughter and exclaim “Oh, you got your girl!” it’s a violation of my HIPAA rights. And hers." Another tweet read, "If you meet me in person, please don’t ask me how I’m doing. It’s a HIPAA violation." One user wrote, "I really don't know why ppl are so confused about if asking your vaxx status is legal or not. You have to prove you're vaxxed for all kinds of shit (school, exchange trips, etc). This isn't NEW lol."

Another said, "Like everything else, Marjorie Taylor Greene is entirely ignorant of what HIPAA is and is not. Her constituents must be very proud."