Final answer:
2) FALSE. The statement is false because HIPAA has provisions that permit coroners and medical examiners to access necessary health information to perform their lawful duties, including determining cause of death.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that coroners and medical examiners are not exempt from HIPAA regulations and thus cannot access most confidential medical records is FALSE. HIPAA includes a provision that allows coroners, medical examiners, and certain other public health officials to access protected health information that is necessary for them to carry out their lawful duties. This may include determining cause of death or other duties as required by law. In situations concerning public health, such as the monitoring of diseases, HIPAA regulations also provide allowances for accessing certain health information.
Coroners and medical examiners are not exempt from HIPAA regulations, which require businesses that use health information to maintain strict confidentiality of patient records. Therefore, they are not able to access most confidential medical records.For example, if a coroner or medical examiner needs access to a patient's medical records for an official investigation, they would typically need to obtain a proper legal authorization, such as a court order.In summary, the statement is TRUE. Coroners and medical examiners are not exempt from HIPAA regulations and are generally not able to access most confidential medical records without proper legal authorization.