A HIPAA Employee Confidentiality Agreement is a legally binding document between a healthcare provider (or covered entity) and an employee that outlines the responsibilities of the employee in protecting the confidential health information of patients. The agreement is part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and is designed to protect the privacy of patients' health information. This agreement typically requires the employee to not disclose any confidential information to any third party and to use the information only as directed by the employer. It also requires the employee to abide by the rules and regulations of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. There are two types of HIPAA Employee Confidentiality Agreements: the general agreement and the specific agreement. The general agreement outlines the general duties of the employee in protecting the confidentiality of patient health information. The specific agreement defines the specific duties and responsibilities of the employee in protecting specific patient information, such as the name and address of the patient.