Task: Respond to the scenario provided regarding HIPAA and the issues of confid

Task: Respond to the scenario provided regarding HIPAA and the issues of confidentiality
Equipment/Supplies: Paper and pen
Standard Performance Objective: Respond to the questions that follow the scenario regarding HIPAA violations and potential legal implications.
Conditions under which the student is expected to perform the Task: Complete the assignment below and turn in to your instructor before the assigned due date. Minimum passing score is 70%.
Please Read the Case Study and answer the questions below.
Respond to Issues of Confidentiality Case Study
Two recent Medical Assisting graduates apply for a job and Healthy Living Family Care office. They are ecstatic when they are both offered the job, as they were former classmates. The Applicants, Tracey Smith and Samantha Anderson are required to take a pre-employment drug screening test before they can start the jobs and decided to go to the Happy Health Clinic together., When they arrived the Medical Assistant, Michelle Brooks CMA (AAMA) whom was a friend of Tracey’s obtained their personal information and roomed the applicants, where then the back office medical assistants obtained the urine specimens. Two days later, the test comes back positive for Tracey, and the Healthy Living Family Practice retract the offer for employment. Two weeks later Samantha Anderson returns to Happy Health Clinic for a routine physical exam, again she was greeted by Michelle Brooks CMA (AAMA) who casually asks, “How’s Tracey?” Samantha replies, “Actually she is not doing well, her husband lost his job, and now they have to move back in with her parents!” Michelle Brooks CMA (AAMA) responds. “That’s terrible; you know what they say… When it rains it pours, first she fails her drug test, and now her husband losses his job. So sad” Samantha then looks up, and states… “OH…she failed her drug test?” Yup Michelle responds… And I hear that she has to go to rehab, or her husband is going to divorce her!
1. What errors were made that could leave the medical assistant and the provider vulnerable to litigation?
2. Describe any potential HIPAA violations and the implications of the violations that occurred.
3. How might the errors leave the health care professionals open to potential lawsuits?
4. How could the errors have been avoided through effective risk management techniques?