FCC Clarifies Use of TRS and HIPAA Privacy Rule

Summary

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) clarifies that using Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) to facilitate phone calls between healthcare professionals and patients with hearing or speech disabilities does not violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. The FCC also states that covered entities, such as doctors, can contact patients using TRS without requiring the TRS facility or communications assistants to sign a disclosure agreement, consistent with HIPAA regulations.