CONFIDENTIALITY

HIPAA

What is HIPAA?

In 1996, Congress passed the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act”, which protected health insurance coverage for persons changing jobs.  At that time, it was specified that if Congress did not enact health care privacy legislation by August 1999, the Secretary of Health and Human Services was to develop standards for the privacy of individually identifiable health information.  Proposed privacy rules were issued by the Secretary in December 1999.  The final regulation was issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, under HIPAA, and was approved August 2002.  The regulation goes into effect April 14, 2003 .

 The regulation requires that all Health Care providers must provide their patients with a copy of the Privacy Rule, which governs how an individual’s personal health information may be used for treatment, payment, or other health care operations.  The health care provider must show proof that each patient has received a copy of this rule. However, it is up to the individual patient to then review the rule.

 Under federal regulations, all students utilizing the Health Center after April 14, 2003 , will be given a copy of the Privacy Statement when they come in, and asked to sign a notice stating they received the copy. Incoming first-year students are given a copy in their medical forms packet. Copies are also posted and available at the Health Center, or can be requested by calling x2470. A copy of the Privacy Statement for Davison Health Center is attached and can be opened and printed for your convenience.

Privacy Statement (HIPAA) for Davison Health Center

 Information about your care at the Health Center and your medical record is strictly confidential and released only with your written permission. This policy ensures your right to privacy and is applied regardless of whether the information is requested by University officials, family members, friends or other health care providers. There are certain confidentiality exceptions required by law, such as reporting certain communicable diseases or situations which threaten your own safety or the safety of others, and age of consent.