You see the acronym a lot when it comes to signing forms at the doctor’s office, but what is HIPAA? How did its passage start a sea change in our access to healthcare? Co-hosts Erin Stein and Dr. Gillian Goddard explain medical privacy, your right to your records, pre-existing conditions, the ACA, COBRA, and why doctors still fax.

Gillian takes us back to the world before HIPAA, when losing coverage for even a short time could mean your insurer refused to pay for care. We explain how HIPAA narrowed pre-existing condition exclusions, how that connects to COBRA and the Affordable Care Act, and what each law did and didn’t fix.

We also get into the privacy side: your right to a copy of your medical records, why you now see lab results at the same time as your doctor, and why your doctor may not be able to text or email you freely. We uncover the mysteries why doctors fax, what happens when you turn 18, and why hospital staff have been fired for looking up celebrity charts.

We take a moment to remind you that while this is a medical discussion, it is not providing a diagnosis or treatment or any medical advice. The only way to get a diagnosis, treatment or medical advice for your particular condition is through a discussion with your doctor.

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This episode was produced and edited by Erin Stein. Music: “All We Live For (instrumental)” by Wolfclub licensed through Audiio.com. Intro and outro edited, and video created, by Ian Mayer. The Savvy Patient logo by Amanda Spielman.