A Healthier Democracy
HIPAA Advice on Rules for Contacting Patients who Registered to Vote
Ensure marginalized patients with local elections turn out to vote
Posted September 12, 2021
Work & Deliverables
HIPAA RE contacting patients: Vot-ER does healthcare-based voter registration. Last year, Vot-ER (vot-er.org) helped 46,000 people including patients get ready to vote in the 2020 election, of which we have ~20,000 of their contact information.
This year, there are crucial local elections in November. We want to reach out to patients impacted by these local elections, as local elections have a huge impact on people's health. Ideally, we want to invite healthcare providers to a text/phone bank where they reach out to the people who registered to vote through our platform.
Based on HIPAA, we want a sense of- Can a healthcare provider from the same geography reach out to a potential patient about voting? - What happens if a person sees someone they recognize on their list of contacts?- What guidelines should we provide to healthcare providers about HIPAA and related regulations before doing this outreach?
A Healthier Democracy
At A Healthier Democracy, we believe that health care workers and health care settings have untapped power to drive positive social change. We are the home for organizing at the intersection of health and civic engagement. Our flagship program, Vot-ER, develops nonpartisan civic engagement tools and programs for every corner of the healthcare system—from private practitioners to medical schools to hospitals. Our work is driven by a community of health care professionals, organizers, clinical students, and technologists united by a common vision: healthy communities powered by inclusive democracy. Together, we’ve expanded Vot-ER programs into over 500 hospitals and clinics and helped tens of thousands of Americans register and prepare to vote. We are gearing up for the 2024 election season, where we hope to help 75,000 patients get ready to vote in November's election.
A Healthier Democracy
At A Healthier Democracy, we believe that health care workers and health care settings have untapped power to drive positive social change. We are the home for organizing at the intersection of health and civic engagement. Our flagship program, Vot-ER, develops nonpartisan civic engagement tools and programs for every corner of the healthcare system—from private practitioners to medical schools to hospitals. Our work is driven by a community of health care professionals, organizers, clinical students, and technologists united by a common vision: healthy communities powered by inclusive democracy. Together, we’ve expanded Vot-ER programs into over 500 hospitals and clinics and helped tens of thousands of Americans register and prepare to vote. We are gearing up for the 2024 election season, where we hope to help 75,000 patients get ready to vote in November's election.