» Receive a notice that tells you how you should get the report within 60 days,
your health information is used but it can take an extra 30 days if you are
You can learn how your health information given a reason.
is used and shared by your provider or health
insurer. They must give you a notice that » Ask to be reached somewhere
tells you how they may use and share your other than home
health information and how you can exer- You can make reasonable requests to be
cise your rights. In most cases, you should contacted at different places or in a different
get this notice on your first visit to a pro- way. For example, you can have the nurse
vider or in the mail from your health in- call you at your office instead of your home,
surer, and you can ask for a copy at any time. or send mail to you in an envelope instead
of on a postcard. If sending information to
» Decide whether to give your you at home might put you in danger, your
permission before your information health insurer must talk, call, or write to
can be used for certain purposes you where you ask and in the way you ask,
In general, your health information cannot if the request is reasonable.
be given to your employer, used or shared
for things like sales calls or advertising, or » Ask that your information not
used or shared for many other purposes un- be shared
less you give your permission by signing an You can ask your provider or health insurer
authorization form. This authorization form not to share your health information with
must tell you who will get your information certain people, groups, or companies. For
and what your information will be used for. example, if you go to a clinic, you could ask
the doctor not to share your medical record
» Get a report on when and why your with other doctors or nurses in the clinic.
health information was shared However, they do not have to agree.
Under the law, your health information may
be used and shared for particular reasons, » File complaints
like making sure doctors give good care, If you believe your information was used
making sure nursing homes are clean and or shared in a way that is not allowed under
safe, reporting when the flu is in your area, the privacy law, or if you were not able to
or making required reports to the police, exercise your rights, you can file a complaint
such as reporting gunshot wounds. In many with your provider or health insurer. The
cases, you can ask for and get a list of who privacy notice you receive from them will
your health information has been shared tell you who to talk to and how to file a
with for these reasons. You can get this complaint. You can also file a complaint
report for free once a year. In most cases with U.S. Government.
Published by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights
the patient magazine 2010 17
PT016__0FVP0_SP10REQprivacy.indd 17 2/5/10 7:21 AM
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