your privacy
Your Health Information
Privacy Rights
Privacy is imPortant yoUr rights
to all of Us Providers and health insurers who are
You have privacy rights under a federal law required to follow this law must comply
that protects your health information. with your right to…
These rights are important for you to know.
You can exercise these rights, ask questions » Ask to see and get a copy of your
about them, and file a complaint if you health records
think your rights are being denied or your You can ask to see and get a copy of your
health information isn’t being protected. medical record and other health
information. You may not be able to get
Who must follow this law? all of your information in a few special
• Most doctors, nurses, pharmacies, cases. For example, if your doctor decides
hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and something in your file might endanger you
many other health care providers or someone else, the doctor may not have
• Health insurance companies, HMOs, to give this information to you. In most
most employer group health plans cases, your copies must be given to you
• Certain government programs that pay within 30 days, but this can be extended
for health care, such as Medicare and for another 30 days if you are given a
Medicaid reason. You may have to pay for the cost
of copying and mailing if you request
Other privacy rights copies and mailing.
You may have other health information
rights under your state’s laws. When these » Have corrections added to your
laws affect how your health information health information
can be used or shared, that should be made You can ask to change any wrong
clear in the notice you receive. information in your file or add information
to your file if it is incomplete. For example,
For more information if you and your hospital agree that your
This is a brief summary of your rights and file has the wrong result for a test, the
protections under the federal health hospital must change it. Even if the hospital
information privacy law. You can ask your believes the test result is correct, you still
provider or health insurer questions about have the right to have your disagreement
how your health information is used or noted in your file. In most cases the file
shared and about your rights. You also can should be changed within 60 days, but the
learn more, including how to file a hospital can take an extra 30 days if you
complaint with the U.S. Government, at are given a reason.
the website at www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/.
Published by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights
16 the patient magazine 2010
PT016__0FVP0_SP10REQprivacy.indd 16 2/5/10 7:21 AM
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