Abstract
HIPAA establishes a federal standard for the privacy of an individual’s health information. Compliance will be a tremendous challenge for correctional institutions. With the deadline for compliance looming, there is confusion about such basic questions as: Are correctional institutions required to comply, what must be done to comply, are funds available, and what approach should be taken? To learn how other states have dealt with these questions, the California Department of Corrections conducted a nationwide telephone and e-mail survey of all 50 state correctional systems. This survey found widespread uncertainty regarding the impact and relevance of HIPAA for correctional institutions, and documented differences among states in funding availability and compliance strategies.
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