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Hippa Rights in Wisconsin

HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is legislation that was passed in 1996. The aim of this act, according to the Wisconsin department of Health Services, is to "combat waste, fraud and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, and to simplify health care billing and other transactions by adopting standards to transmit data electronically." Under this new provision, consumers maintain specific rights related to health care.

  1. Right to Access Information

    • All insurance companies maintain records of the patients they insure. Under Wisconsin's HIPPA act, a patient has a right to these records upon request. A patient also has the right to access any records maintained by a health care provider. These records are accessed by contacting the insurance or health care provider. Some companies only accept written requests while others will accept spoken and written. Wisconsin's Department of Health Services explains that "A patient may be charged a reasonable fee for copies of health information."

    Right to Privacy

    • Because many employers pay for and provide health insurance policies for their employees, a common concern for privacy exists. Under Wisconsin's HIPPAA, an employer does not have access to an employee's health records unless the employer acts as the health care provider or if an an employee files a worker's compensation claim against the employer. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services explains that "even if your employer acts as your insurance company, the employer must keep that information separate from your employment records and may not use your health information for employment-related decisions." In the case of a worker's compensation claim, a patient loses provider-patient privilege.

    Right to Accuracy

    • Under Wisconsin's HIPPAA, a patient has the right to request that information in her records be corrected. Usually the health care provider or health insurance company will ask that a patient submit a written request to change information. This request may be accepted or denied. If the request is denied, the provider must give an explanation why.

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