– Your health information, your rights. Information is power. With easy access to your
health information you can have more control over how
your health is being managed. Your right to access
your health information is regulated by a law known
as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA for short. HIPAA is designed to work for you. You need to know and
understand your right to access your health information
and medical records. We've made a series of
short educational videos to help you better understand your right to see and get your health
information and to have that information sent to
others of your choosing including family members,
caregivers, or mobile device application often called an app. These videos will also include
information on associated fees, forms, and the time
it takes to get a copy of your health information. Your medical or health
record is a collection of your health information. Your health information may
include things like X-rays, vaccine records, information
about past and current treatments, and lab test results
such as cholesterol levels.
Your health information
is stored by your health care providers, including
doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, and your
health insurance plan. It is your right to get a copy
of your health information and to have it sent to someone else. There are only a few situations
when you may not be able to get copies of your health information. However, you can not be refused
access to your information because you haven't paid
your health care bill yet. You can see and get your
health information on paper or as an electronic file. If your doctor stores your
health information in an electronic health record,
you may even be able to look at your health information
online and make a copy for yourself or send it
on your own to another place, like your fitness
tracker app or another person.
Doctors are encouraged to
provide copies for free and to respond to your request
to see and get a copy of your health information
as quickly as possible. This series of short videos
will provide you with additional information
on your right to see and get your health information
and to provide your health information to someone
else like a family member, caregiver, or technology like
a mobile application or device used to track your health and vital signs like your heart rate. The videos will also provide
you with information on possible fees that your
provider may charge, the forms you may be required to fill out, and the estimated time it may take to get your health information..
