Privacy Practices

The federal law known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), reflects a common-sense balance between protecting individual privacy and ensuring the best quality care. While our policies and RI Law provide a superb degree of protection, there has never before been a federal standard defining and ensuring medical records privacy. Hospitals, physicians, health plans, and other health care providers around the country are now required to comply with the new federal privacy regulations.

HIPAA's Privacy Rule sets minimum privacy protections that will reassure patients that their medical records are kept confidential, and limits the way their personal medical information may be used or disclosed. Individuals will have more control over their personal information; have the ability to request corrections of any errors included in their health records, and file complaints about privacy issues.

The BHDDH Notice of Privacy Practices explains how medical information about you is used and disclosed, your rights, and who to contact if you have questions regarding our privacy practices.