S
Signorina
Guest
Exactly ICdn - which is why I don't want to blow a fuse with the practice. I love these doctors - they are great people and I know that the billing issues are some of the things they hate about practicing medicine.
My medical bills are being sent by default to my husband. Makes me want to SCREAM
SRL
Active Member
I'm quite surprised. My husband's name is on our policy so all insurance forms are addressed to him by default. However our mail order pharmacy won't allow us to use the same username and password because of Hippa laws. I had to make a seperate account to check my prescription status, etc.
Star*
call 911........call 911
To file a complaint or get more details:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/
Your Health Information Is Protected By Federal Law
Most of us believe that our medical and other health information is private and should be protected, and we want to know who has this information. The Privacy Rule, a Federal law, gives you rights over your health information and sets rules and limits on who can look at and receive your health information. The Privacy Rule applies to all forms of individuals' protected health information, whether electronic, written, or oral. The Security Rule, a Federal law that protects health information in electronic form, requires entities covered by HIPAA to ensure that electronic protected health information is secure.
Who Must Follow These Laws
We call the entities that must follow the HIPAA regulations covered entities.
Covered entities include:
Many organizations that have health information about you do not have to follow these laws.
Examples of organizations that do not have to follow the Privacy and Security Rules include:
Health Insurers and Providers who are covered entities must comply with your right to:
You can ask your provider or health insurer questions about your rights.
Who Can Look at and Receive Your Health Information
The Privacy Rule sets rules and limits on who can look at and receive your health information
To make sure that your health information is protected in a way that does not interfere with your health care, your information can be used and shared:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/
Your Health Information Is Protected By Federal Law
Most of us believe that our medical and other health information is private and should be protected, and we want to know who has this information. The Privacy Rule, a Federal law, gives you rights over your health information and sets rules and limits on who can look at and receive your health information. The Privacy Rule applies to all forms of individuals' protected health information, whether electronic, written, or oral. The Security Rule, a Federal law that protects health information in electronic form, requires entities covered by HIPAA to ensure that electronic protected health information is secure.
Who Must Follow These Laws
We call the entities that must follow the HIPAA regulations covered entities.
Covered entities include:
- Health Plans, including health insurance companies, HMOs, company health plans, and certain government programs that pay for health care, such as Medicare and Medicaid.
- Most Health Care Providers—those that conduct certain business electronically, such as electronically billing your health insurance—including most doctors, clinics, hospitals, psychologists, chiropractors, nursing homes, pharmacies, and dentists.
- Health Care Clearinghouses—entities that process nonstandard health information they receive from another entity into a standard (i.e., standard electronic format or data content), or vice versa.
Many organizations that have health information about you do not have to follow these laws.
Examples of organizations that do not have to follow the Privacy and Security Rules include:
- life insurers,
- employers,
- workers compensation carriers,
- many schools and school districts,
- many state agencies like child protective service agencies,
- many law enforcement agencies,
- many municipal offices.
- Information your doctors, nurses, and other health care providers put in your medical record
- Conversations your doctor has about your care or treatment with nurses and others
- Information about you in your health insurer's computer system
- Billing information about you at your clinic
- Most other health information about you held by those who must follow these laws
- Covered entities must put in place safeguards to protect your health information.
- Covered entities must reasonably limit uses and disclosures to the minimum necessary to accomplish their intended purpose.
- Covered entities must have contracts in place with their contractors and others ensuring that they use and disclose your health information properly and safeguard it appropriately.
- Covered entities must have procedures in place to limit who can view and access your health information as well as implement training programs for employees about how to protect your health information.
Health Insurers and Providers who are covered entities must comply with your right to:
- Ask to see and get a copy of your health records
- Have corrections added to your health information
- Receive a notice that tells you how your health information may be used and shared
- Decide if you want to give your permission before your health information can be used or shared for certain purposes, such as for marketing
- Get a report on when and why your health information was shared for certain purposes
- If you believe your rights are being denied or your health information isn't being protected, you can
- File a complaint with your provider or health insurer
- File a complaint with the U.S. Government
You can ask your provider or health insurer questions about your rights.
Who Can Look at and Receive Your Health Information
The Privacy Rule sets rules and limits on who can look at and receive your health information
To make sure that your health information is protected in a way that does not interfere with your health care, your information can be used and shared:
- For your treatment and care coordination
- To pay doctors and hospitals for your health care and to help run their businesses
- With your family, relatives, friends, or others you identify who are involved with your health care or your health care bills, unless you object
- To make sure doctors give good care and nursing homes are clean and safe
- To protect the public's health, such as by reporting when the flu is in your area
- To make required reports to the police, such as reporting gunshot wounds
- Give your information to your employer
- Use or share your information for marketing or advertising purposes
- Share private notes about your health care
Star*
call 911........call 911
I'm not "Sure" and I think you would have to contact an attorney to get the letter of the law before you went to the Dr.s office in a correct verbage - BUT - Since your insurance company has you as the person that is responsible for paying the bills as it is YOUR insurance...(and I'm guessing this is a really gray area because if your kids are on the insurance policy and your husband may take them sometimes and HE signs for them and not you - unless you really want to open up a can of worms?) Then I believe that the forms usually state that the responsible party is the person that has to sign for the medical treatment unless you've given permission otherwise. Now in the case of your husband going to HIS own doctors I'm not sure how that works bcause you certainly don't want to be there to sign for his treatments etc. and then that would fall under it's own HIPAA laws - but it would be something to take up with an atty. versed in HIPAA laws.
I do know that the office girl in billing and what she told you is incorrect. They can not just PUT the billing under your husbands name because he is your husband if for NO other reason - the policy is NOT in his name - unless they want to try and bill HIM for all further procedures and office visits. And that alone is the reason without dragging HIPAA laws into it that she should immediately separate all billing. It's really going to create a mess for your insurance company. (Imaginaing)
I do know that the office girl in billing and what she told you is incorrect. They can not just PUT the billing under your husbands name because he is your husband if for NO other reason - the policy is NOT in his name - unless they want to try and bill HIM for all further procedures and office visits. And that alone is the reason without dragging HIPAA laws into it that she should immediately separate all billing. It's really going to create a mess for your insurance company. (Imaginaing)
Tiapet
Old Hand
What everyone says is true about HIPPA, especially the lovely information Star posted. They are in serious violation, fineable! I know you don't want to pursue this but you really need to on principal to "help" them. I recently had a situation with a major university medical center that violated HIPPA. They sent psychiatric records to a lab for not just the child in which they were suppose to send LAB records on ONLY but on a second child that had nothing to do with it!
I alerted them to it and they tried desperately to quickly get the faxes of these records back but it was too late. I contacted the office at the time who immediately put me with the head of the admn (after the HIPPA person) who jumped through hoops to do everything she could. They knew I could sue and the fine would be hefty if I pursued this. I just wanted it fixed! So I ended up getting my entire families medical records sent to me, free of charge (usually you have to pay per page). We're talking over 4 years worth of records (mine alone were hundreds of pages). I'm telling you I could hear the ladies voice shake every time I talked with her. She was very very scared and spoke to her staff immediately afterwards and told me of the "re-education" class she was having immediately with her staff so this NEVER happens again! Everytime I called from that point on, I got her immediately, even if she was busy I got put right through. It was like having Carte Blanche there as what they did was a very serious thing.
I'm just saying, educate and get it straight regarding HIPPA because it does seem they aren't very well aware of it and if they are, then they don't take it serious enough to know how much trouble they can be in.
I alerted them to it and they tried desperately to quickly get the faxes of these records back but it was too late. I contacted the office at the time who immediately put me with the head of the admn (after the HIPPA person) who jumped through hoops to do everything she could. They knew I could sue and the fine would be hefty if I pursued this. I just wanted it fixed! So I ended up getting my entire families medical records sent to me, free of charge (usually you have to pay per page). We're talking over 4 years worth of records (mine alone were hundreds of pages). I'm telling you I could hear the ladies voice shake every time I talked with her. She was very very scared and spoke to her staff immediately afterwards and told me of the "re-education" class she was having immediately with her staff so this NEVER happens again! Everytime I called from that point on, I got her immediately, even if she was busy I got put right through. It was like having Carte Blanche there as what they did was a very serious thing.
I'm just saying, educate and get it straight regarding HIPPA because it does seem they aren't very well aware of it and if they are, then they don't take it serious enough to know how much trouble they can be in.
