Please Share Your “HIPAA Hurt Me” Story
Please SHARE YOUR STORY about refusing to sign HIPAA. This means the HIPAA privacy form or the HIPAA acknowledgement statement signifying receipt of the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP).
We need as many stories about what happens when patients refuse to sign the form, as they are lawfully allowed to do, particularly if you are denied care, made to feel bad, made to miss your appointment or are hurt in any other way. Or perhaps you’re a practitioner and your hospital or ACO system is requiring you to deny care to those who exercise their right to refuse.
HIPAA Hurt Me
By law, you have a RIGHT to REFUSE to sign the HIPAA Form and the HIPAA acknowledgement statement signifying receipt of the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP). The federal government has publicly stated that you have a right to refuse, and no law requires your signature. This includes the right to refuse to sign the form or statement even after the hospital or clinic staff writes “refused” on it.
NOTE: Refusing to sign does not provide you with any privacy protection. Under HIPAA, according to the federal government, there are potentially 2.2 million entities (including 1.5 million "business associates") that could be given access to your private data without your consent.
However, if you do NOT sign, and if your data is then broadly shared without your consent and you complain about the disclosure or use of your data, the clinic staff or attorneys will not be able to say that you signed the form acknowledging that you know your data can be shared broadly under HIPAA. The staff will not be able to tell you that it was your responsibility not to share confidential data with your doctor. They will not be able to blame YOU for sharing data that they disclose without your consent.
If you refuse to sign the HIPAA privacy form, some clinics or doctors or hospitals may refuse to provide treatment to you or your children. This is in clear violation of your rights — but we have discovered that they may not know you have that right. Be gentle but firm. Consider contacting us to request wallet-size cards to give to the staff.
NOTE: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a web page that says exactly what the clinic and hospital are supposed to do when you lawfully refuse to sign the HIPAA form or the HIPAA acknowledgement statement.
CLICK HERE TO SHARE YOUR STORY
Press Releases
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August 21, 2018
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) is planning a social media event today—the 22nd anniversary of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)—and alerting Americans how HIPAA, in fact, doesn’t protect patient privacy at all.
HIPAA was signed into law 22 years ago on Aug. 21, 1996, and CCHF will educate the public about “22 HIPAA Harms” throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter.
Today is the 22nd anniversary of HIPAA, the law that eliminated patient privacy rights. On August 21, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into law “The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” (HIPAA). In 2003, the “HIPAA privacy rule” (permissive data-disclosure rule) went into effect. To show how little privacy you have, we’ve got a list of 22 ways HIPAA harms you.
Press Releases
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March 24, 2016
ST. PAUL, Minn.—Minnesota lawmakers yesterday advanced a bill that would ensure greater patient privacy protection by requiring patients to initial each item to which they are consenting on their health records at the doctor’s office, hospital or clinic—thus allowing patients to pick and choose exactly what information they would like to be shared between medical professionals and for what purposes, says Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org), which testified yesterday in support of the bill.
Testimony
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March 24, 2016
Prepared Testimony
House File 1560 (Gruenhagen)
Initials required for each item of consent when requested to release health records.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Testimony of Twila Brase, President and Co-founder
Presented by Matt Flanders, Legislative Specialist
Press Releases
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March 08, 2016
ST. PAUL, Minn.—It’s certainly not a much-publicized fact, but patients are not required to sign the HIPAA “Privacy” Notice at their doctor’s office, hospital or clinic. And, medical professionals cannot refuse to treat patients who choose not to sign the form.
Press Releases
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February 16, 2016
ST. PAUL, Minn.—It might be the health care surprise of the century for some patients—and even some health care workers. The HIPAA “Privacy” Rule doesn’t ensure patients’ privacy at all.
Press Releases
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December 29, 2014
ST. PAUL, Minn.—This past year was perhaps one of the most crucial in history regarding patient rights and privacy, as important issues such as government health care, the storage of and research on baby DNA and federal biosurveillance plans all made headlines.
Press Releases
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April 28, 2014
If there’s one myth about patient privacy that Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org) wants to dispel, it’s that HIPAA protects patients.
Exactly the opposite is true, says CCHF, a Minnesota-based national organization dedicated to preserving patient-centered health care and protecting patient and privacy rights.
Please share your story about refusing to sign the HIPAA privacy form. You are allowed to refuse to sign the clinic or hospital "HIPAA Privacy form.” We encourage you to do so It’s important to exercise this right, and we need as many stories about what happens when patients refuse to sign the form, particularly if you are denied care, made to feel bad, made to miss your appointment or hurt in any other way. Or perhaps you’re a practitioner and your hospital or ACO system is requiring you to deny care to those who exercise their right to refuse.