Covered entities that are government programs providing public benefits -- such as for Medicare or Medicaid -- may disclose protected health information (PHI) under the following circumstances:

A health plan that is a government program providing public benefits may disclose [PHI] relating to eligibility for or enrollment in a health plan to another agency administering a government program providing public benefits if the sharing of eligibility or enrollment information is required or expressly authorized by statute or regulation;

A covered entity that is a government agency administering a government program providing public benefits may disclose [PHI] relating to the program to another covered entity that is a government agency administering a government program providing public benefits if the programs serve the same or similar populations and the disclosure of protected health information is necessary to coordinate the covered functions of such programs or to improve administration and management relating to the covered functions of such programs.

See also:

• 45 CFR 164.512(k)

Last modified: 14-May-2005 [RC]