Doctor/Patient Confidentiality

[fog_hat1981]

Do the new HIPPA and Doctor/Patient confidentiality regulations keep Doctor's from telling your Insurance company of any illegal drugs you may be using (i.e. AAS)?

:hmmm:

[Shibby]

I'm pretty sure that when you sign up for insurance, you give authoriztion to them to access your records.

and just an FYI, it's HIPAA. I don't know why but there are site on the net that even have it confused.

[rado]

Originally Posted by fog_hat1981

Do the new HIPPA and Doctor/Patient confidentiality regulations keep Doctor's from telling your Insurance company of any illegal drugs you may be using (i.e. AAS)?

:hmmm:

Your doctor can refrain from telling them. However, if it's an issue where it may cause you serious harm down the road, then more than likely he/she will let the insurance know about the use.

I just got my blood work done 3 weeks ago and I had told my doctor that I've been off since April of '04 and was thinking about coming back on in the next month or two. This is what she explained to me because I was also concerned about my insurance finding out.

[fog_hat1981]

Originally Posted by Shibby

I'm pretty sure that when you sign up for insurance, you give authoriztion to them to access your records.

and just an FYI, it's HIPAA. I don't know why but there are site on the net that even have it confused.

Good point - I'm curious if they would drop your coverage completely or if they would just jack up your premiums etc.

Thanks for the correction - typo.

[Shibby]

Originally Posted by rado

Your doctor can refrain from telling them. However, if it's an issue where it may cause you serious harm down the road, then more than likely he/she will let the insurance know about the use.

I was looking through some of my books and reserching online and this is what it all seems to come back to. A case by case determination. Nothing I have though discusses AS use. More just what is placed on your medical records, how it might affect changing insurance companies, and what will be covered because of that.

[Shibby]

Originally Posted by fog_hat1981

Good point - I'm curious if they would drop your coverage completely or if they would just jack up your premiums etc.

I would bet on them just dropping you. It's an illegal substance and even if they did increase your premimums, they would look at it being a bad investment. No company will take the chance on making a little extra money off of you knowing they could be setting themeselves up for a possible million dollar loss. I know it's AS and we all know the usual complications. But they just look at it as illegal substance.

[rvgfrth4g]

Before I start telling my Doctor about my cycle, ect. I tell him, "Ok, this is off the record". And he never writes anything down. But I've got a cool Doctor, he'll prescribe anything I as him. lol

[rado]

Originally Posted by Shibby

I was looking through some of my books and reserching online and this is what it all seems to come back to. A case by case determination. Nothing I have though discusses AS use. More just what is placed on your medical records, how it might affect changing insurance companies, and what will be covered because of that.

A case by case determination

Very true/\

[lxorl]

depends on the doc... but there is always a chance it can get in your record... better to keep it to yoruself unles you trust your doc, or your having a medical issue that requres you to divuldge

I will tell u how it works at my office, we will never release any medical information to the ins company just diagnosis codes and thats it, the hipaa laws protect us the consumer or patient from letting the insurance company tell the doctor what protocal should be used in any case. They are not allowed to look at your records only the billing portion of your records

K

[fog_hat1981]

Originally Posted by num1son

I will tell u how it works at my office, we will never release any medical information to the ins company just diagnosis codes and thats it, the hipaa laws protect us the consumer or patient from letting the insurance company tell the doctor what protocal should be used in any case. They are not allowed to look at your records only the billing portion of your records

K

Interesting - I thought that was what HIPAA was supposed to protect even though one doctor can share it with another doctor (only upon reference). Anyone else???????

NO, it was intended to stop insurance companies from gathering info on patients then telling the dr's what they should do treatment wise or test wise, there was a case where the ins company took the records and told the doc to issue this test not the one he needed, the doc then used the ins companies reccomendation and prescribed the covered test and later the pt died, wife sued
It basically protects the patient from the insurance company findout out personal medical information used to diagnose and treat, hence the billing codes are only used and diagnosis codes are used on HCFA forms nothing ever needs to be mentioned regarding drug use etc.

K

Originally Posted by fog_hat1981

Interesting - I thought that was what HIPAA was supposed to protect even though one doctor can share it with another doctor (only upon reference). Anyone else???????

the biproduct of the law was that records could not be released without patient consent, hence the sharing between doc's its a win win for the patient and doc, the patient gets more secrecy and the doc doesnt face liability issues

K