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The HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act) is a Federal Regulation
that creates national standards to protect individuals'
medical records and other personal health information.
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It gives patients more control
over their health information.
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It sets boundaries on the use
and release of health records.
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It establishes appropriate safeguards
that health care providers and others must
achieve to protect the privacy of health information.
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It holds violators accountable,
with civil and criminal penalties that can
be imposed if they violate patients' privacy
rights.
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It strikes a balance when public
responsibility supports disclosure of some
forms of data - for example, to protect public
health.
For patients it means being able to make informed
choices when seeking care and reimbursement for
care based on how personal health information
may be used.
- It enables patients to find out
how their information may be used and about
certain disclosures of their information if
they were made and the reason for the disclosure(s).
- It generally limits release of
information to what is absolutely necessary.
- It gives patients the right to
examine and obtain a copy of their own health
records and request corrections.
- It allows individuals to control
certain uses and disclosures of their health
information.
Under HIPAA, patients will have the right to:
- Inspect and copy protected health
information
- Amend (or append) their medical
records
- Receive an accounting of disclosures
- Have reasonable requests for confidential
communications accommodated
- File a complaint with the Office
of Civil Rights or with the Hospital
A patient will receive a copy of Huntington Hospital's
Notice of Privacy Practices the first time they
are admitted or receive services starting on April
14, 2003.
To read and print a copy of the Huntington
Hospital Notice of Privacy Practices, click the
link below:
HIPAA
Notice of Privacy Practices 11-2006
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