Re: HIPPA

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On 5/24/06, R. Goff wrote:
> My 16 year old daughter was recently treated in an World
> renown emergency room.After waiting around 11 hours
> throughout the ordeal We were denied access to her medical
> file while there and were also denied copies of admitting
> papers that we signed for treatment. We were told that the
> papers mysteriously dissapeared! I feel as a parent my
> rights were denied and so were hers. what opinion do you
> offer? thanks
HIPAA is a patient privacy act and has to do with what
information medical providers are allowed to divulge to
whom. The hospital had no duty to give *you* her admitting
papers, they are hers not yours. And having worked in a
hospital at one time, I know that things really do
disappear. It's not mysterious, it's too much confusion and
papers flying around. And finally, you're not allowed to
see her medical file, she is, but that doesn't have anything
to do with HIPAA. Sorry. She can request a copy of her
medical file from them but they will probably charge a
copying fee. I would suggest just asking her family doc for
a copy if they sent one to her.