Does HIPAA Apply Outside of the United States?

Modified on Tue, 13 Feb at 5:52 PM

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this article, other knowledge base articles, and the Compliancy Group website do not, and are not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information, content, and materials in the Knowledge Base and on the Compliancy Group website are for general informational purposes only.

The issue of whether HIPAA applies outside of the United States (that is, in foreign countries, to foreign countries, and/or to people or entities in foreign countries) consists of several components:

1. Can HIPAA apply to healthcare providers who provide care outside of the United States (and who do not provide care in the United States?)
2. For HIPAA to apply to a provider in (1) above, must there be present protected health information of an American resident receiving treatment from that provider?
3. Assuming HIPAA does apply outside of the U.S., can or will another country's judicial system enforce HIPAA, a U.S. law, against a company located outside of the U.S.?

Other considerations may apply in determining whether and when (if all) HIPAA can apply outside of the United States.

The text of the HIPAA laws and regulations does not address any of these issues or questions.

Covered entities and business associates who are interested in knowing whether HIPAA might apply outside of the U.S. should contact qualified legal counsel with their questions.


Was this article helpful?

That’s Great!

Thank you for your feedback

Sorry! We couldn't be helpful

Thank you for your feedback

Let us know how can we improve this article!

Select at least one of the reasons
CAPTCHA verification is required.

Feedback sent

We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article