What You Need To Know About Checking Into Rehab

Although most the rehab centres are strict about their admission requirements, it is important to note that still your privacy and the amount of information you can share with these centres are protected under the law. Based on the centre’s program, you are always free to move out if you feel that the centre is infringing on your privacy rights. In this article, different laws are highlighted and explain as regards your confidentiality and privacy as follows:

• Health Insurance Portability And Accountability (HIPAA)– Under these federal laws, the treatment centres are prohibited from releasing your information to third parties. The law requires that for the release of patient information, the patient must provide consent. Any centre flouting this law may be fined $500 for the first time and $5000 subsequent and additional offences. As a patient, the law allows you to sue anybody who reveals your private info without your authority. Before admission, you must ensure that the centre offers you your confidentiality and privacy guidelines. These documents must be signed by the rehab’s workers.
• Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)- safeguards identifying info about applicants, those who been diagnosed, or received treatments- All programs must not reveal any information without the concerned person’s consent. Even minors information cannot reveal to their parents with the former’s consent.
• The confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records (42 CFR part2)- This law requires that any program must not reveal any information about the patients that it handles without the latter’s consent. However, there are exceptions to this law especially if a court of law demands the information.
• The patient controls their health info-The main aim of HIPAA is to offer the patients an opportunity to control the info about their health. The law defines the boundaries over the use and release of their information.
• HIPAA requires that:
• Rehabs and hospitals must keep patient info in safe custody
• Minimize the people who access confidential and private info.
• Train employees on ways of handling and safeguarding private info.
• Circumstances that may require disclosure of private information are as follows:
• Crimes-in case a patient commits a crime while undertaking treatment at the rehab, private and confidential information must be released to the police for action.
• Child abuse-programs must adhere to state laws that demand reportage of child abuse and neglect. It should be noted that in regard to this, programs are only required to make to issue minimal information.
• Medical emergencies in case of an emergencies, the law requires that the medical information of the patient in question must be shared.