The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) provides patients with several basic rights that inform and empower them.
- The patient has the right to receive a Notice of Privacy Practices (117 KB PDF)
- The patient has the right to access or inspect their health record, and to obtain a copy from their healthcare provider (a reasonable fee may be charged for copying). There are very few exceptions.
- The patient has the right to request an amendment (clarification or challenge) to their medical record. The request must be made in writing, and the healthcare organization must respond to the request and notify the patient of the outcome.
- The patient has the right to request a list of when and where their confidential information was released (Exceptions: Treatment, healthcare payment operations).
- The patient has the right to request restrictions in the use and disclosure of their confidential information if reasonable. Note: mmpc® is not legally required to accept the restrictions and will, given the complexity of multiple methods dealing with information, most likely elect not to treat the patient, or elect to disregard it in an emergency situation.
- The patient has the right to file a complaint if he or she believes privacy rights were violated. Reports can be made to mmpc Compliance/Privacy Officer or by calling 616.974.4534, or to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
For more information about HIPAA and its impact on you and your personal health information, please feel free to contact the
mmpc Compliance/Privacy Officer or download these related HIPAA documents:
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