A misunderstanding or over-interpretation of HIPAA by healthcare providers is preventing vital health information from being shared with family and caregivers, according to an April 26 Congressional hearing on the law.

Rep. Tim Murphy, PhD, (R-Pa.) noted instances when doctors did not share concerns about patients with the family, citing the 1996 HIPAA law as the reason, and the patients later took their own life. Murphy, a clinical psychologist and chair of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, expressed worry that actions like this could hinder patient care and might fail to prevent public health tragedies. For example, patients with mental illness could be at risk of killing themselves or others, or patients with chronic conditions could miss out on obtaining the care they need.