HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This Federal legislation provides certain rights and protections for health care consumers. These rights include the ability to maintain insurance coverage when you change or lose your job and the right to obtain a copy of your medical record and to transfer records from one provider to another. Most importantly, HIPAA requires that your health information be kept both private and secure.
The Orange County HIPAA Privacy Officer is Dr. Randy Lewis. His responsibility is to ensure that the departments, divisions and programs within Orange County handling your Protected Health Information take the necessary precautions to keep the information confidential and secure.
It is any information, written or electronic, that contains personally identifiable health or medical information. Examples would include results from a lab test, blood pressure readings, and test results from a medical procedure. Mental Health information including diagnosis and treatment are also considered to be Protected Health Information under HIPAA.
When you go to a health care provider you most likely receive a Notice of Privacy Practices on your initial visit. This is a federal requirement that providers must tell you how your health information will be handled and used by the provider. The document should also specify who they will share your information with and what your rights are regarding how it is used.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website provides an abundance of information about HIPAA. You can access the website by clicking here. If you have questions or concerns regarding the handling of your Protected Health Information, you can email the Orange County HIPAA Privacy Officer at privacy.officer@ocfl.net or by calling (407) 836-9214.
Health Services Department Health Information Privacy Officer 2002-A E. Michigan Street Orlando, FL 32806 Email: privacy.officer@ocfl.net
All e-mail sent to this address becomes part of Orange County public record. Comments received by our e-mail subsystem can be read by anyone who requests that privilege. In compliance with "Government in the Sunshine" laws, Orange County Government must make available, at request, any and all information not deemed a threat to the security of law enforcement agencies and personnel.