Is our medical practice required to notify patients through the mail of any changes to our notice?

Answer:

No. The HIPAA Privacy Rule does not require a covered health care provider to mail out its revised notice or otherwise notify patients by mail of changes to the notice. Rather, when a covered health care provider with a direct treatment relationship with individuals makes a change to his notice, he must make the notice available upon request to patients or other persons on or after the effective date of the revision, and, if he maintains a physical service delivery site, post the revised notice in a clear and prominent location in his facility. See 45 CFR 164.520(c)(2)(iv). In addition, the provider must ensure that the current notice, in effect at that time, is provided to patients at first service delivery, and made available on his customer service web site, if he has one. See 45 CFR 164.520(c).

Date Created: 12/20/2002