Well, an interesting thing has been happening with us in regard to hospital bills. A few months ago, a son was born to us and we did not have insurance so were able to get a special discount by paying in full prior to leaving the hospital. However, in the process, we were listed as having insurance and thus the discount was revoked and we were getting bills again.
In the process of the whole thing, I found out that anyone can call the hospital and act like an insurance company and gain access to our medical information without our approval. Without contacting us, the hospital gave information to an organization that needed medical details on my family. Fortunately, that organization manages our medical expences but the hospital freely gave them information without contacting us.รย Who else have they given our information to?
Our extra bills were dropped with just a face-to-face at the hospital (wish they had listened on the phone).รย But the question is still out there “Why is it so easy for third parties to access our information without our direct consent?
Third party “providers” should not have access to your medical records without your consent. I know that in our setting, we are only allowed to share patient information within the clinic walls, and that is with patient permission. check out:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/
Looks like you could surf this site for a long time, but it has some good info, if you can dig it up.
let me clarify.. the organization that manages your medical expenses can access your records. If anyone else that you have not authorized to give that information to calls, they should not be able to get any information. Check out that website for a better explination.
Interestingly, I did not share with the hospital that the anyone managed our medical expences. However, the group that does manage our expences called asking for some details and they gave them the information and listed them as our “insurance company” without consulting us. We have been listed at the hospital as uninsured and self-pay for 4+ years and we never told them otherwise.
I am glad that it has all worked out, but it does make me leary of how easy it can be to get information.
The above website says you can ask that they not share your information, but they do not have to do what you ask, so what’s the point of having a privacy act?
Page 2 of Fact Sheet: Your Health Information Privacy Rights