What Is HIPAA?

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Your health information, your rights.

Whether your health information is stored on paper or electronically, you have the right to keep it private.

Those rights are protected under a law known as HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

HIPAA gives you important rights.

First off, you have the right to know how your health information is used and shared.

Now, your provider is allowed to share your information for certain reasons without asking you first, like when your doctors work together to determine how to best treat you when you're sick or to report the flu when it's in your area, but, in general, your providers can't give information to an employer, for example, without your permission.

And if you'd like to know who has seen your health information, you have the right to get a report.

That's called an "accounting of disclosures."

HIPAA also gives you the right to request that your information not be shared with certain people or organizations.

You also have the right to see or get a copy of your medical records.

Sometimes you might not be able to see certain parts of the full record, but you always have the right to ask.

If you find a mistake in your record, you have the right to request to have it corrected.

If you disagree with your doctor or health plan about certain information in your record, you have a right to submit a written statement of disagreement that will be kept with your record.

HIPAA gives you the right to say how you want to be contacted.

For example, you can tell your provider what phone number they should call to contact you and whether they can leave a message.

All these rights are spelled out in the Notice of Privacy Practices, which is usually given to you or posted at your doctor's office or hospital.

Be sure to read this notice carefully. It lets you know exactly how your information will be used and shared and how your rights are being protected.

And, lastly, if you think any of these rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint.

We're serious about working with you to protect your health information.

Know your rights. To get started, just visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights at hhs.gov/ocr.

Sourced from HHS OCR - Your Health Information, Your Rights