Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services created the HIPAA Privacy Rule in December 2000. The rule became effective on April 14, 2003. The Privacy Rule protects personal health information. It helps prevent misuse of individually identifiable health information.
DES has identified the following programs as covered by HIPAA Privacy Rules:
- Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)
- Refugee Medical Assistance Program within the Division of Aging and Community Services
Notice of Privacy Practices
- DES Notice of Privacy Practices - English (DES-1077A)
- DES Notice of Privacy Practices - Spanish (DES-1077A-S)
Summaries are also available in:
- Farsi
- Arabic
- Somalian
- Russian
- Vietnamese
- Serbo-Croatian
- Spanish
To request these summaries, contact the Privacy Officer at the Refugee Medical Assistance Program.
HIPAA-Compliant Authorization
In order to obtain protected health information from a DES covered entity, you will need to use a HIPAA-compliant authorization. Download an authorization form:
How to File a HIPAA Privacy Complaint
You may file a complaint if you believe any of the following has occurred:
- You/your child's protected health information was disclosed by DES workforce, or a business associate of DES, without your written authorization and no exception exists under the Privacy Rules (e.g., disclosure for treatment purposes)
- You were entitled to a Notice of Privacy Practices from a DES covered component and were not provided with one
- Your request to DES or a Business Associate of DES to access protected health information was denied or was not provided in the time frame required by the Privacy Rules
- A DES covered component failed to provide a required accounting of disclosures within the time frame required by the Privacy Rules
- Your request to DES or a Business Associate of DES to amend protected health information to DES/the Business Associate created was denied
- Your request to DES or a Business Associate of DES to restrict protected health information was denied
- Your request to DES or a Business Associate of DES for communication in an alternative format or alternate location was denied
- Any other Privacy violation
Download the complaint form:
Although, DES would like an opportunity to work with you to resolve any concerns or complaints you may have regarding your rights under the Privacy Rules, you may choose to file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights.
The Office for Civil Rights can be contacted at:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
50 United Nations Plaza
Room 322
San Francisco, CA 94102
Contact Information
If you have a question, concern, or complaint related to HIPAA Privacy at DES, please contact HIPAA.