PATIENTS & VISITORS
PATIENT PRIVACY
HIPAA regulations
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a set of privacy standards that protects against the misuse of your personal health information. All medical records and other individually identifiable health information used by your health care provider, health plan, or a health care clearinghouse, in any form (paper, electronic or oral), is covered by this law.
North Texas Medical Center (NTMC) provides the following overview of the HIPAA regulations to help you understand your medical right to privacy.
The HIPAA regulations require that all health care providers, health plans and health care clearinghouses:
- Adopt and implement privacy practices and post a notice outlining these practices, including information about how your health information can be used. Patients receiving care at NTMC for the first time will receive and acknowledge the notice before care is provided (with the exception of emergency care).
- Allow you to examine and obtain a copy of your medical record and request changes to your record.
- Implement security measures to ensure that your records are not readily available to those who do not need them.
- Provide only the minimum necessary amount of personal health information. This does not apply when information is provided for treatment purposes—physicians and other clinicians need access to your full medical record to provide the best possible care.
- Train employees so that they understand the privacy procedures.
- Designate an employee to be responsible for ensuring that privacy procedures are implemented and followed.
If you feel that your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a formal complaint with the health care provider, health plan, or the Department of Health and Human Services.
For more information on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, contact NTMC’s HIPAA privacy officer at (940) 612-8634.
