Keeping Treatment Communications Private
If you share insurance, a phone, mail or a patient portal, ask how treatment messages and billing information will reach you. Make separate arrangements with the provider and health plan; one request may not cover both.
For: U.S. adults arranging private treatment communications, including adults on a shared insurance plan · 3 PDF pages
No email or account is required. Use the PDF or printed spaces for private notes. This guide does not collect worksheet answers. Save and reopen a completed PDF to check your notes.
HIPAA applies to covered health providers and health plans, with defined rules and exceptions. It does not mean that every person, app or document is protected in the same way. Ask the privacy officer who can access messages, records and billing information in your particular situation.
HIPAA usually does not cover health information you enter or download into a personal-use app unless it is provided by a covered entity or its business associate. Before saving personal notes, consider who can access the device, account or synced folder. If those are shared, ask staff about another way to use the resource, or choose a paper copy and a place to keep it.
Check Each Route
| Where information may appear | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Phone calls and voicemail | Which number can you use? What may a message say? Can you record my preference? |
| Mail and insurance notices | Where will bills and explanations of benefits go? How do I request confidential communications? |
| Email, text and portals | Which account receives notifications, and who has proxy or shared access? How do I review or change it? |
| Forms releasing information | Who receives what information, for what purpose? How can I change or revoke a permission, and what are the limits? |
| Saved or printed worksheets | Who could open this copy, see a shared download folder or collect the printed pages? Where do I want to keep my notes? |
Ask what a treatment-record consent permits
Some substance-use treatment records have additional protection under 42 CFR Part 2. It applies to records from federally assisted Part 2 programs, not automatically to every mention of substance use in a medical record. A single consent can allow future sharing for treatment, payment and health care operations. HIPAA-covered recipients may then share those records again as HIPAA permits, with additional Part 2 restrictions on legal proceedings against you. Ask whether the program is covered, what your consent permits, and how to change or revoke it, including the limits. Ask for the privacy notice and a plain-language explanation before deciding.
Sources: [2]
Sources: [1]
Private Communication Plan
- Provider arrangements
- Safe contact method; message wording; privacy officer; date requested and confirmed.
- Health-plan arrangements
- Requested address/method; process and forms; who confirmed the change and when it applies.
- Accounts or permissions to check
- Portal proxy access, shared email, release forms or an unanswered question. Do not record passwords here.
Understand Your Privacy Options
- HHS: HIPAA privacy rights
- HHS: substance-use record protections
- HHS: protecting information on a personal device
This organizer is for adults and is not a consent form or a guarantee of confidentiality. For a minor’s care, ask the provider which consent and parent-access rules apply to the service and state. Ask the privacy office about any unresolved request or complaint.