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HIPAA Information

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA (which stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) is a federal law that sets rules for health care providers and health insurance companies about who can look at and receive your health information. HIPAA gives you rights over your health information, including the right to get a copy of your information, make sure it is correct, and know who has seen it.

What is the Notice of Privacy Practices?

The Notice of Privacy Practices is a document that explains your rights under HIPAA regarding your health information. It tells you how your health information can be used or shared. Most doctors and insurance companies will provide patients with a copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices at the time of their first office visit or initial enrollment in a healthcare plan. HIPAA rules require that your doctor or insurance copy provide you with a copy of their Notice of Privacy Practices upon your request.

Why should I read the Notice of Privacy Practices?

You have certain rights as a patient – the right to privacy, the right to know what is in your health records, and the right to know how that information has been used and shared. This notice can help you better understand these rights.

Among other things, the Notice of Privacy Practices details:

  • How your healthcare provider or insurer is allowed to use or share your health information.
  • Your privacy rights, which include your right to get a copy of your health file, review it, ask that it be corrected, and complain if you think your privacy rights have been violated.
  • Your doctor or insurer's legal duties to protect your health information.
  • Whom to contact for more information about your doctor or insurance company's privacy policies? In many offices, this person is referred to as the "Privacy Officer" for that particular office or organization.

I have questions about my health information as a patient of Rosalind Franklin University Health Clinics. Who can help answer these questions?

If you are a patient of the Health Clinics and have concerns about the privacy or security of your health information, please contact Jeff Espina at 224-570-7515.

If you are a patient of the Health Clinics and would like to request a copy(ies) of your medical records for your own review* or to request that we send a copy of your record to another healthcare provider, please call the Health Clinics at 847-473-4357 to place your request.

*Health record copying and postage fees will apply in accordance with federal and state law.

To learn more about HIPAA and health information privacy, visit the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services at https://www.hhs.gov/web/policies-and-standards/hhs-web-policies/privacy/index.html.