In 1996, Congress passed legislation to provide continuity of coverage when
individuals switch health plans and to ensure the security and privacy of
protected health information. Clearwater Medical Clinic has always been
committed to protecting individuals' health information and will continue its
commitment by ensuring compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy requirements.
This rule – the first federal rule to protect the privacy of health information
–establishes basic national privacy standards for healthcare providers, health
plans and healthcare clearinghouses to follow, in order to protect patients and
encourage them to seek needed care. The HIPAA Privacy Rule grants healthcare
consumers several rights regarding their privacy and protected health
information. Clearwater Medical Clinic has instituted documents, policies and
procedures that address these rights.
These include the right to:
Receive Clearwater Medical Clinic's
Written Notice of Privacy Practices, which details individual rights and
provides examples about how health information is used for treatment,
payment, and health care operations.
Request a restriction on specific uses and
disclosures of protected health information.
Receive confidential communications of
health information.
Access, inspect and copy protected health
information.
Request amendment and/or correction of
protected health information.
Receive an accounting of disclosures of
protected health information.
File a complaint with Clearwater
Medical Clinic as well as with the Department of Health and Human Services
Privacy Fact Sheets available to consumers
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
privacy listserv offers two fact sheets available on its Web site. The first,
"Privacy and Your Health Information," provides a general overview of the HIPAA
privacy rule and individual rights associated with the rule. The second, "Your
Health Information Privacy Rights," focuses on each of the privacy rights
included under the rule. Both sheets can be obtained from the OCR Web site at
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/