Daily Health News Blog

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is designed to protect patient health information and guard medical privacy. Only you, your insurance company and your doctors can access your records. You may want to have a copy of your records to check for mistakes or to recall your medication history. Talk to your doctor's office about how to access your records online. Different services require different procedures. Some doctors require you to fill out a form. Do it at the doctor's office in case you need help. Write down specific information you want, such as blood pressure, scans, blood and urine tests, cholesterol levels, and history of surgery or other procedures. Pay any fee. When you receive the records, check to see that all the information you requested is included. Check the records for mistakes. If you find anything you don't understand, call the health-care provider's office and ask for an explanation. If it is a mistake, ask the provider