People also give personal information to their doctors, which is shared with insurance companies, pharmacies, researchers, and employers based on specific regulations. The privacy of your health records is protected by federal law (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA), which:

• Defines your rights over your health information
• Sets rules and limits on who is allowed to receive and/or see your health information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (www.dhhs.gov/ocr) or 1-800-369-1019) is an excellent resource for complete details and advice about the HIPPA ruling. Along with fact sheets and educational materials, the OCR also provides a listing of resources for consumers, providers and advocates. If you believe that a person, agency or organization covered under the HIPAA Privacy Rule violated your health information privacy rights or committed another violation of the Privacy Rule, you can file written complaints with OCR.

The Medical Information Bureau (MIB) is a data bank used by insurance companies that collects and shares information. You can request a copy of your file to be sure the information is accurate by writing to MIB, Inc., PO Box 105, Essex Station, Boston, MA 02112, or call toll-free 1-866-692-6901 (TTY: 1-866-346-3642). There is a fee to obtain a copy of your file.

For more information on how the federal government protects your personal health information, visit the website of the Health Privacy Project (www.healthprivacy.org) or My Health Privacy (nclnet.org/health/healthprivacy/index.htm) created by the National Consumers League.