Your Partners in Health

When you left your doctor's office, after your last visit, you probably believed that the relationship and communication between you and your doctor was personal, private and confidential. Sorry. Although federal (and state) law provides for privacy, those items that the doctor discussed and wrote notes about in the medical chart paper or computer) are not only available to the doctor's staff and office associates involved in your care, but potentially to insurers and their personnel, payers, claims managers, case managers, peer reviewers, agencies such as Medicare and Medicaid, licensing authorities, and by virtue of subpoena, to attorneys, other officers of the court, and perhaps to members of a jury, as well as to certain police and investigative officials. When your doctor or health provider gives you a notice of HIPAA compliance, read it and then, when you get home, go to the government site http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/ to have a better understanding of the privacy to which you are entitled.