Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott doesn’t seem pleased that news got out that he has COVID-19 from the novel coronavirus.
Not long after Elliott’s agent Rocky Arceneaux told NFL Network that the running back was in good condition after contracting the disease, Elliott tweeted out: “HIPAA ??”
He’s referring to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which, by law, prevents medical record-keepers from making patient information public. It doesn’t apply to Arceneaux, however, who is not a healthcare provider. Elliott’s agent wasn’t legally in the wrong by confirming the information with a reporter — nor was the reporter in the wrong for publishing that information.
But if Elliott’s agent — or a media member — somehow got the information from a healthcare provider without Elliott’s permission, then the running back is, indeed, a victim of a HIPAA violation, and that healthcare provider would be at fault.
Elliott provided more context for his discontent with the situation.
