HIPAA About This Page:

[lanejudy]

Originally Posted by Teresa

I believe what the OP is worried about may not actually be HIPAA related, but some website that would describe accepted medical diagnosis and what they entail?...

As a nurse, I'm sure you understand that how a certain condition affects one patient may not be how another patient is impacted. For example, one person with diabetes may have considerable problem with mobility because it has impacted his/her feet, while another guest with diabetes is fully ambulatory and has no problem walking around all day but does have issues with his/her vision. Therefore, neither the previous GAC program nor the new DAS program is "diagnosis" based. So medical diagnosis is not really a "qualification." Guests who have a disability and have concerns about how their trip could be impacted, are encouraged to visit Guest Relations and discuss their "needs" as related to touring and enjoying the parks.

If the OP's concern is a website... there really is no ONE online location to access such information. There is no database of people with disabilities, and in my experience no single site that best explains specifics of all possible conditions.

I hope that helps!

[Teresa]

Originally Posted by lanejudy

As a nurse, I'm sure you understand that how a certain condition affects one patient may not be how another patient is impacted. For example, one person with diabetes may have considerable problem with mobility because it has impacted his/her feet, while another guest with diabetes is fully ambulatory and has no problem walking around all day but does have issues with his/her vision. Therefore, neither the previous GAC program nor the new DAS program is "diagnosis" based. So medical diagnosis is not really a "qualification." Guests who have a disability and have concerns about how their trip could be impacted, are encouraged to visit Guest Relations and discuss their "needs" as related to touring and enjoying the parks.

If the OP's concern is a website... there really is no ONE online location to access such information. There is no database of people with disabilities, and in my experience no single site that best explains specifics of all possible conditions.

I hope that helps!

Oh yes, I know a similar/same diagnosis will manifest differently in each person. However, there are many common traits amongst each diagnosis.
I feel the hear-say about what WDW is going to do about people with disabilities is causing some panic amongst individuals, even some of the nurses I work with.
I encourage everyone to go to Guest Services at MK first thing and speak to them about accommodations WDW can provide.

[mttmilner]

Man, great to see so many fellow nurses on the boards. I was about to reply but everyone beat me to it.

[Teresa]

Originally Posted by mttmilner

Man, great to see so many fellow nurses on the boards. I was about to reply but everyone beat me to it.

Welcome!! Yes, there are a lot of us.

[Teresa]

Originally Posted by Izjezted

I still do not understand from a legal perspective that if a patient waives privacy, and gives permission to contact a physician for verification, how that could be illegal.

For example, to get a handicap license plate, a physician needs to fill out a form issued by the DMV.

Thank you everyone for enlightening me so far.

It's not illegal for them to provide that, because you have given permission for the information to be used. It is not illegal for necessary medical information to be shared in order to TREAT you.
Here's an example:
Let's say John Doe is admitted to the hospital. He's older and confused. He knows he takes "one of those pink pills in the morning and two at night, a white pill at night, and something for my heart in the morning". Now, I, as his admitting nurse have NO CLUE what those pills might be - but they are more than likely necessary. What Mr. Doe DOES know is that he gets all of his pills from the WalGreens on 38th street and Capital Avenue. I can then call ANY Walgreens, give the pharmacist Mr. Doe's name, address, and birthdate, my name, the hospital name, and a fax number and get his list of currently prescribed medications from them. I can do this because it's necessary for his treatment. And if he's confused, or even just a typical patient, he may not realize what each medication treats. So when I ask him during his in-take interview if he has cardiac issues "like a-fib, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol" and he says "No, I don't think so", I can then educate him based on his medications as to what he is being treated for. (yes, I have patients tell me they have no cardiac issues who are on anti-hypertensives).

BTW - I hope this makes sense to others. I had oral surgery this morning and I'm drugged up (not working again until Friday night, so I'll be off those by 7pm on Thursday, Mom!)

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by lanejudy

Most public locations do not offer, nor strive to offer, "better than equal" accommodations. The ADA allows for "equal" access, not better. The intent is not to provide a special privilege beyond what's available to the general non-disabled public. Therefore, proof of disability cannot be required.
.

SO very well stated! Thanks! What an interesting discussion, everyone.

[Sandra Bostwick]

Originally Posted by mttmilner

Man, great to see so many fellow nurses on the boards. I was about to reply but everyone beat me to it.

I was thinking the same thing!

[Eeyore Tattoo]

Originally Posted by DisneyDana

That's what everyone has argued for so long. Until now, the GAC was indeed better than equal so could WDW have legally been entitled to ask for proof all those years?

Disabled parking is a whole different thing as it is regulated state by state. WDW is not a government agency..

[yalibrarian]

As to waiving privacy through HIPAA - that is specific to the patient and his/her circumstances. You can waive privacy for a family member(s), one or more physicians/facilities, etc. and usually for a specific purpose or timeframe. There is no way to waive that privacy to any/all outside sources. You certainly have the right to share any of your medical history yourself with anyone (the grocery store clerk, your next-door neighbor, WDW Guest Relations) -- HIPAA doesn't control that. But the bottom line is, WDW has no fool-proof way of verifying disability. Your local DMV can contact your doctor, WDW isn't going to do that.

And HIPPA regs are so strict that the minute my son turned 18, even though he is disabled and requires 24/7 care, and is on my insurance, I had no right to discuss his care with either medical professionals or insurance companies. We had to go to court and spend a couple of thousand dollars to become our own child's guardian! Only then would the insurance company talk with me. So I can't see Disney or any other company getting involved like that. What a big mess that would be. Honor system and patience seem to be the best course.

[yalibrarian]

This is a ridiculous law. Why wouldn't any disabled person WANT to provide proof so that there would be less fraud? If it weren't for this, there would be no issue with the GAC. This country is more worried about tippy toeing around as to not offend or upset people that things that need fixing to actually HELP the disabled stay in a constant mess. I mean really. It's completely backwards.

I'm sorry you think one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation ever passed is "ridiculous." I am guessing neither you nor anyone you know has a disabling condition; otherwise, you might not feel this way. Just because a few people game the system doesn't mean my son should give up his privacy rights. The law does more than say he should receive "reasonable accommodations" at a theme park. It means that people with mobility issues don't have to climb up stairs on their bellies to get to inaccessible public buildings. It means they can get into a restroom when they need one. It means a hotel, theater or restaurant can't say "Sorry, we don't serve your kind." It means if you apply for a job for which you are the best candidate, they can't refuse to hire you because it might make the other people in the office feel uncomfortable to see a person missing an arm/blind/with CP. These are the issues of daily life that the law addresses. Additional laws prevent school systems from refusing to educate a disabled child, which is how it was only forty years ago.

I applaud Disney for taking action to eliminate fraud and to return the accommodations to just that: accommodations and not special treatment. We will shortly be able to see how it works, and believe me, I will be the first to speak up if I see something that needs tweaking.

[PamelaK]

Let us all please remember to keep things civil in this thread. HIPAA and the ADA are in place to protect those with disabilities from being discriminated against. The original poster in thread was inquiring about the availability of a national HIPAA database. This has opened discussion as to why Disney would not be able to opt in to such a database, even if it did exist. The thread is extremely informative about exactly who would have access to such information.

We do not need to get into a discussion about if a law that not only protects privacy, but also allows for equal protection under the laws, is "ridiculous" or not. If we cannot keep this conversation civil, then this thread will be closed just like the other threads that have recently closed due to the hostile nature of posts that were made.

And before anyone decides to make comments about how the guides are stifling the expression of opinions, this forum is intended to provide information and help for travelers with all types of disabilities. If this thread strays from that because of opinions being expressed, then there will be no choice other than to close the thread.

[phoebec]

Originally Posted by yalibrarian

I'm sorry you think one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation ever passed is "ridiculous." I am guessing neither you nor anyone you know has a disabling condition; otherwise, you might not feel this way. Just because a few people game the system doesn't mean my son should give up his privacy rights. The law does more than say he should receive "reasonable accommodations" at a theme park. It means that people with mobility issues don't have to climb up stairs on their bellies to get to inaccessible public buildings. It means they can get into a restroom when they need one. It means a hotel, theater or restaurant can't say "Sorry, we don't serve your kind." It means if you apply for a job for which you are the best candidate, they can't refuse to hire you because it might make the other people in the office feel uncomfortable to see a person missing an arm/blind/with CP. These are the issues of daily life that the law addresses. Additional laws prevent school systems from refusing to educate a disabled child, which is how it was only forty years ago.

I applaud Disney for taking action to eliminate fraud and to return the accommodations to just that: accommodations and not special treatment. We will shortly be able to see how it works, and believe me, I will be the first to speak up if I see something that needs tweaking.

I agree sandra, anyone who is disabled or has a disabled loved one thanks their lucky stars for ADA. The safeguards it provides are countless. IDEA is another blessing that I am thankful for.

[Eeyore Tattoo]

I back Pam & Sandy 110%

[JerseyDad]

This is a ridiculous law. Why wouldn't any disabled person WANT to provide proof so that there would be less fraud? If it weren't for this, there would be no issue with the GAC. This country is more worried about tippy toeing around as to not offend or upset people that things that need fixing to actually HELP the disabled stay in a constant mess. I mean really. It's completely backwards.

Originally Posted by yalibrarian

I'm sorry you think one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation ever passed is "ridiculous." I am guessing neither you nor anyone you know has a disabling condition; otherwise, you might not feel this way. Just because a few people game the system doesn't mean my son should give up his privacy rights. The law does more than say he should receive "reasonable accommodations" at a theme park. It means that people with mobility issues don't have to climb up stairs on their bellies to get to inaccessible public buildings. It means they can get into a restroom when they need one. It means a hotel, theater or restaurant can't say "Sorry, we don't serve your kind." It means if you apply for a job for which you are the best candidate, they can't refuse to hire you because it might make the other people in the office feel uncomfortable to see a person missing an arm/blind/with CP. These are the issues of daily life that the law addresses. Additional laws prevent school systems from refusing to educate a disabled child, which is how it was only forty years ago.

I applaud Disney for taking action to eliminate fraud and to return the accommodations to just that: accommodations and not special treatment. We will shortly be able to see how it works, and believe me, I will be the first to speak up if I see something that needs tweaking.

.....I kinda' took a different angle in my interpretation of the first quoted passage above. First ....I agree that the ADA Law is on of landmark level importance ...and it basically set in stone the concept that discrimination or exclusion on the basis of a physical or mental affliction will not be tolerated.

..... but what I also took from the quote ...is that we're so he!! bent on hiding our disabilities from one another ....that it makes the "getting over the hump" of universal acceptance so much more difficult. It's almost a shame that the HIPAA regulations even need to exist.....because it adds a feeling of, "I need to hide something" ...from everyone else. It's sorta reminds me of the lines that George Burns had in the movie "Oh God". He said ..."The reason I put everyone here naked... I wasn't trying to be cute. It's just that with clothes there's right away pockets, and pockets, you gotta put something in 'em." (expressing the hiding & dishonesty thing)

.....and personally, I can understand it. Heck ...almost 20 yrs ago I thought I was having a nervous breakdown. I hit a point where I couldn't get out of bed one morning. I was literally carried to the doctor ....and was then diagnosed with clinical depression ...and general anxiety disorder. At that time ...you didn't tell ANYONE that you had depression ...because of the societal stigma associated with it being classified as a mental illness. And being a professional ...I was told that no one would want to be your client if they knew that you had a mental illness. So ...with some medical help ...and a change in lifestyle ....I cope better than I used to do. But at some point .....maybe when it was almost "chic" to be on Prozac or a related drug .....I came to the mindset that "Hiding this is a huge crock ....and you will have to deal with me, because even though I'm affected by this disorder, I am still the best at what I do".

......all I'm saying ...really ...is it's a shame to have to hide who / what we are for fear of being ostracized.

[lauriep]

There is really no need to ascribe motives such as "hiding who we are for fear of being ostracized" in this instance. Disney (or anyone other than a medical professional) cannot require proof because a disability is a medical diagnosis and therefore private information, plain and simple.