NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Two weeks after @GovBillLee promised to be completely transparent about #COVID19 outbreaks in Tennessee schools, he and his administration are backtracking. 1/ newschannel5.com/news/newschann…
One of the excuses from Lee's team is that disclosure of outbreaks would violate the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). But guidance from U.S. Dept of Ed suggests otherwise. 2/ 
And according to U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, HIPAA does not bar disclosures informing the public about outbreaks of infectious diseases. That's what public health agencies do. 3/
Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey had also tried to argue that HIPAA prevented the disclosure of COVID-19 outbreaks at nursing homes until, facing a barrage of questions, she decided it didn't. 4/ newschannel5.com/news/newschann…
Today, Piercey claimed the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services "asked us" to disclose nursing home outbreaks even though it was a HIPAA violation. From what's in the public record, there is no evidence that's true. 5/
All CMS did, at that point, was to publish guidance that it intended to require nursing homes to report #COVID19 cases to the federal agency itself. There is ZERO evidence that CMS asked states to begin disclosing that info 6/
In fact, the @AARP notes that states are NOT required by CMS to disclose nursing home outbreaks. Is it possible that CMS just "asked us" to make those disclosures, as Piercey claims, and didn't "ask" other states? Highly unlikely! 7/
Here is the AARP story: 8/ aarp.org/caregiving/hea…
There is a pattern here. 9/9 newschannel5.com/news/newschann…
.@tndp's @marymancini reacts to @GovBillLee backtracking on promise to be transparent about #COVID19 outbreaks in TN schools
