How to Win HIPAA Complaints

Health care providers, medical billers and health plans are subject to HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA protects patients' privacy by stipulating that a patient's signed consent is required to release medical information for any reason other than to provide treatment, obtain payment or in regards to the daily operations of a medical provider.



It also ensures a patient's right to request, receive and amend copies of his medical records. Furthermore, the groups listed above are required to provide each patient with documentation listing his rights and tell how and where to submit complaints.

Things You'll Need

• Initial paperwork from health care entity
• Copies of all original documentation
• Letter(s) of complaint
• Copies of filed letter(s)

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Instructions

• 1

  HIPAA mandates regulations regarding patient privacy.

  Gather all documentation from the health care entity or entities that pertains to the complaint.

• 2

  Make copies of original documents and highlight pertinent areas on the copies regarding the complaint.

• 3

  Compose a letter outlining the complaint in detail.

• 4

  File the complaint with the privacy officer listed for the organization. This not only shows a good-faith effort to resolve the complaint with the organization, but also adds pertinent documentation to the complaint.

• 5

  File the complaint with the local Health and Human Services Department if you can't resolve it with the health care organization.