Electronic transactions
Notice of Privacy Practices

HIPAA

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is a set of standards created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Act was signed into law on August 21 of 1996, with an effective date of April 14, 2003. The standards were created to streamline the flow of information in the healthcare system and to protect confidential health information from inappropriate access, use, and disclosure. HIPAA regulations apply to any healthcare provider who engages in electronic transactions or transmission of protected healthcare information.

Your rights under HIPAA

Your rights and the privacy of your healthcare information are important to us. Some of your rights under HIPAA include:

• The right to confidentiality regarding your healthcare information
• The right to access your protected healthcare information
• The rights to copy, amend, and restrict access to your protected healthcare information
• The right to file a complaint with the Secretary of Health and Human Services about how your healthcare information has been used, disclosed, amended, or restricted
• The right to an accounting of certain types of disclosures of your healthcare information

The HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

As part of our compliance with HIPAA, we will provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices and ask you to sign a form acknowledging your receipt of the Notice.

We are always glad to answer any of your questions about our privacy practices or your rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.