[rosser]

If you talk about it outside a privileged context, you're implicitly waiving the privacy protections.

For example, if you run into your physician in public, and say, "Hi Doc. Have you gotten my test results back yet?" you're the one pointing out that she's your doctor, not her. If she, unprompted, said something about your test results to you, she'd have violated HIPAA.

It's your privacy to waive as you please.

[evandev]

The P in HIPAA doesn't stand for Privacy.

[rosser]

No, it stands for "Portability."

HIPAA does, however, have a section explicitly governing the privacy of patient medical information, under Title II, generally known as "The Privacy Rule".

EDIT: Tone and specificity.