The new federal law to help the public keep their personal health records private is so comprehensive and complicated that few understand how it works -- let alone what it means to Utah health laws. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff announced today that
a new guide has been created to help explain how Utah's state laws work with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA. The Attorney General's Office worked with public and private representatives to help create the guide which is available at no charge.
"Hardly anything is more important than your health," said Douglas Springmeyer, assistant AG and a contributor to the guide. "Utahns deserve to know what rights they have under both federal and state laws."
The guide briefly describes the state law or rule and indicates whether it is consistent with HIPAA. For example:
- Do I have a right to my own medical records? Yes. The Utah Legislature recently updated the state law so patients can get their personal health records.
- Can a health clinic provide immunization records to a school? Yes. HIPAA allows disclosure of immunization records for public health activities.
- Is a doctor still required to report child abuse or neglect? Yes. The federal law allows doctors to disclose child abuse or neglect to law enforcement.
The following individuals helped develop the guide: Douglas Springmeyer, Jean Hendrickson, Debbie Kurzban and David Caudill, Attorney General's Office; Bruce Bailey, Department of Corrections; Morris Linton and Mary Thomason, Intermountain Health Care; R. Chet Loftis, Utah Medical Association; David Gessel, Utah Hospitals/Utah Health Systems Association; Robert Harrison, Snow, Christensen & Martineau; Elizabeth Winter, University of Utah; Keith Kelly, Ray, Quinney & Nebeker; John Wunderli, Valley Mental Health; Chris Kidd, U. of U. Health Sciences Center; and Suzette Wright, Utah Department of Insurance.
