A delicate subject
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: MN
Posts: 8,704
A delicate subject
I hesitate to post this because I strongly value my anonymity. I read a lot about people reaching out to professionals for help. Whether it be your general practitioner, counselor, therapist, psychiatrist and/or psychologists. Do any of you have any concern about the information being accessed by other people? Primarily your employer or any potential future employer and last but not least, law enforcement?
I will share two experiences I had here in the US that make me very cautious. My previous doctor was old school guy who was pretty arrogant and had loose lips. He was at the tail end of his career and probably didn't care too much about what he said. We had a long and very good rapport. He told me once that every week, all records got uploaded to a university in our state and sent on to DHS. He said none of it is really "private". BTW, this is the same doctor who thought I was doctor shopping (which ended our relationship) for Ambien, which I was not. Someone at the pharmacy was calling their friends in to pick up my prescription so when I went to pick it up, they informed me that someone already picked it up for me. Crazy deal, long story.
Also, I saw my current doctor to get a full blood work-up after my last binge, told her I was nervous because I had been drinking excessively, wanted to change my life, and make sure my health was intact. She very nicely told me that she would leave any reference to alcohol out of the documentation, "too avoid any issues". And she did, and for that I was thankful. Well, while I was in the hospital they had my medical records. I told them I would like to read all of then. Most of it was pretty vanilla, but sure as heck, there was a comment in there from my previous Dr. mentioning that I had a previous dependency on sleep medication. Can't believe he did that as I wrote him an extensive letter to him and my insurance company to set the record straight and that I would take legal action if necessary. Of course now the point is moot because when I went in to get my knees put back together I was intoxicated, and its in the record. So back to my original question, do you have any concerns about your medical information being held against you sometime in the future? Or do you just "trust em".
I will share two experiences I had here in the US that make me very cautious. My previous doctor was old school guy who was pretty arrogant and had loose lips. He was at the tail end of his career and probably didn't care too much about what he said. We had a long and very good rapport. He told me once that every week, all records got uploaded to a university in our state and sent on to DHS. He said none of it is really "private". BTW, this is the same doctor who thought I was doctor shopping (which ended our relationship) for Ambien, which I was not. Someone at the pharmacy was calling their friends in to pick up my prescription so when I went to pick it up, they informed me that someone already picked it up for me. Crazy deal, long story.
Also, I saw my current doctor to get a full blood work-up after my last binge, told her I was nervous because I had been drinking excessively, wanted to change my life, and make sure my health was intact. She very nicely told me that she would leave any reference to alcohol out of the documentation, "too avoid any issues". And she did, and for that I was thankful. Well, while I was in the hospital they had my medical records. I told them I would like to read all of then. Most of it was pretty vanilla, but sure as heck, there was a comment in there from my previous Dr. mentioning that I had a previous dependency on sleep medication. Can't believe he did that as I wrote him an extensive letter to him and my insurance company to set the record straight and that I would take legal action if necessary. Of course now the point is moot because when I went in to get my knees put back together I was intoxicated, and its in the record. So back to my original question, do you have any concerns about your medical information being held against you sometime in the future? Or do you just "trust em".
Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 4,860
Badger makes an excellent point.
More on HIPAA is here:
Health Information Privacy
For what it's worth, I think your previous physician is full of hot air re: the assertion that medical records are uploaded to the U on a weekly basis.
More on HIPAA is here:
Health Information Privacy
For what it's worth, I think your previous physician is full of hot air re: the assertion that medical records are uploaded to the U on a weekly basis.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: US East Coast
Posts: 14,285
Jeff, I've had lots of docs, several pdocs, worked in the health care field, etc.
Nobody can be 100% sure of anything. That being said, HIPAA is a big deal and health care systems are extremely strict about it. People can and do get fired for not following the law. I've never had any issues whatsoever with my pdocs - they are well aware of the sensitivity.
As an added note, I used to be very paranoid about any of my voluminous health care info getting out. Over the past several years I have finally begun to relax about it and am much happier as a result.
Most docs are very careful. There are always a few who are not as trustworthy.
Nobody can be 100% sure of anything. That being said, HIPAA is a big deal and health care systems are extremely strict about it. People can and do get fired for not following the law. I've never had any issues whatsoever with my pdocs - they are well aware of the sensitivity.
As an added note, I used to be very paranoid about any of my voluminous health care info getting out. Over the past several years I have finally begun to relax about it and am much happier as a result.
Most docs are very careful. There are always a few who are not as trustworthy.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Florida
Posts: 874
I work in employee benefits. If your company is self insured then your employer can get very detailed claims reports. This includes names, diagnosis, dates, and dollar amounts of the claims. I see them often.
Most of the time, the HR department asks that names be left off as they don't want to know who has what illness - although they always seem to know anyway.
Most of the time, the HR department asks that names be left off as they don't want to know who has what illness - although they always seem to know anyway.
Into the Void
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: California
Posts: 931
Well, all of our government's diplomatic files and federal employee information ended up on the internet for all to peruse or hacked by criminal syndicates. I certainly don't have faith in doctors or insurance companies to do any better in safeguarding our supposedly private information. It depends on the specifics of the situation, but honesty is not always the best policy.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,439
I can totally understand the privacy concerns.
Personally, I don't feel like it would be the end on the world even if it got leaked to the general public that I've had alcohol problems. I figure it would be way easier to face that than what some people face these days like having an ex posting naked pics of them or being exposed for being on a website for cheaters.
Personally, I don't feel like it would be the end on the world even if it got leaked to the general public that I've had alcohol problems. I figure it would be way easier to face that than what some people face these days like having an ex posting naked pics of them or being exposed for being on a website for cheaters.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
Many of the bad ones we see in the news today were receiving counseling and their counselors knew they had some deep issues yet, they were not reported to authorities.
Maybe they should have been ?
But, in your case it just seems that you should have no real concerns ?
It usually takes a court of law to attain these records
or
if the one in counseling states that they may harm themselves or others they must be reported.
MB
Maybe they should have been ?
But, in your case it just seems that you should have no real concerns ?
It usually takes a court of law to attain these records
or
if the one in counseling states that they may harm themselves or others they must be reported.
MB
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 507
I can't comment on how medical files are protected in the US, but I found this info for anyone wondering about the UK:
"The Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 states that your employer cannot ask your GP for a medical report on you without your knowledge and consent. You do not have to give your consent. If you do agree, you can ask to see the doctor’s report before it is sent to your employer. Your doctor must wait 21 days before sending it, so you have time to see the document."
Employers in certain situations have the right to ask about medical conditions, such as for national security, jobs that require accurate colour recognition etc.
When it comes to the mental health professions you listed, again in the UK certified practitioners have a code of practice for patient confidentiality. However there are exceptions. If a counsellor believes there is an urgent, serious risk you might harm yourself or others they have an obligation to report that. Assuming you're wondering about past actions being revealed, then you wouldn't have anything to worry about. Again, employers can only access any mental health records with your consent.
Of course in a world of hackers and thieves any kind of record keeping carries a slight risk of being accessed by the wrong people, but assuming the laws in the US are similar to the UK, balancing the likelihood of that happening vs the real tangible benefits of seeking the proper treatment and support you're looking for is no contest in my mind.
"The Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 states that your employer cannot ask your GP for a medical report on you without your knowledge and consent. You do not have to give your consent. If you do agree, you can ask to see the doctor’s report before it is sent to your employer. Your doctor must wait 21 days before sending it, so you have time to see the document."
Employers in certain situations have the right to ask about medical conditions, such as for national security, jobs that require accurate colour recognition etc.
When it comes to the mental health professions you listed, again in the UK certified practitioners have a code of practice for patient confidentiality. However there are exceptions. If a counsellor believes there is an urgent, serious risk you might harm yourself or others they have an obligation to report that. Assuming you're wondering about past actions being revealed, then you wouldn't have anything to worry about. Again, employers can only access any mental health records with your consent.
Of course in a world of hackers and thieves any kind of record keeping carries a slight risk of being accessed by the wrong people, but assuming the laws in the US are similar to the UK, balancing the likelihood of that happening vs the real tangible benefits of seeking the proper treatment and support you're looking for is no contest in my mind.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Ireland
Posts: 351
The dogs on the street know I'm an Alky and are only happy to see me well again.
I don't even think I could afford Life assurance if they checked my records.
Just be happy to be clean and sober, there are no saints out there, nearly everyone has had psychological issues at some point even psychiatrists themselves. Alcoholism does not discriminate.... Dont drive yourself crazy about anonymity. I'm sure when u were active everyone knew you were an alky anyway. Peace and love
I don't even think I could afford Life assurance if they checked my records.
Just be happy to be clean and sober, there are no saints out there, nearly everyone has had psychological issues at some point even psychiatrists themselves. Alcoholism does not discriminate.... Dont drive yourself crazy about anonymity. I'm sure when u were active everyone knew you were an alky anyway. Peace and love
Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 14,916
I used to worry about what was in my medical records.
Now I don't worry about it. The most important thing is that I'm sober.
And if somewhere in my medical records it states that I abused alcohol, well damn, I guess that's true.
Now I don't worry about it. The most important thing is that I'm sober.
And if somewhere in my medical records it states that I abused alcohol, well damn, I guess that's true.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SE USA
Posts: 599
With GP's I have always been general. i.e. I would like to have my liver enzymes checked. When I was drinking I actively avoided doctors out of fear that something was wrong and that I would be listed as alkie on my records. Got to love that creative alcoholic thinking.
When I went to see a psych dr I told the receptionist I would not be filing it on insurance because there may be some things said I didn't want insurance to know. She looked me square in the eye and said "honey, we're psych, we don't tell them anything". I don't know if that's true or not but it might be worth checking into if your fear is keeping you from being straight with a doctor.
When I went to see a psych dr I told the receptionist I would not be filing it on insurance because there may be some things said I didn't want insurance to know. She looked me square in the eye and said "honey, we're psych, we don't tell them anything". I don't know if that's true or not but it might be worth checking into if your fear is keeping you from being straight with a doctor.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 1,701
Whoever is paying the medical bills has access to the records. If you want to keep any treatment strictly private, then you must pay for it privately and not involve insurance.
At one point my therapist told me that he had to submit a new treatment plan and progress report every three visits. He was expected to quantify the effect of treatment--meaning he had to explain feelings or behaviors on the patient and describe a change over those three sessions. He tried once to cut and paste from a previous treatment plan and it was rejected because of the duplication.
He was dropping insurance and felt he had to explain why.
At one point my therapist told me that he had to submit a new treatment plan and progress report every three visits. He was expected to quantify the effect of treatment--meaning he had to explain feelings or behaviors on the patient and describe a change over those three sessions. He tried once to cut and paste from a previous treatment plan and it was rejected because of the duplication.
He was dropping insurance and felt he had to explain why.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 507
Miamifella, the relevant question as that seems to be about the insurance companies deciding whether continuing to authorise payment for treatment is justified, then becomes who has the right to access the insurance company's records? I'm guessing there must be laws about that?
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
People already knew I was a drunk by my outward actions when I was drinking. If they found out that i was seeking help for my problem I honestly think that would be a good thing, not a bad one.
Denying yourself help based on paranoia/fear of an information breach is counterproductive in my book.
Denying yourself help based on paranoia/fear of an information breach is counterproductive in my book.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
Originally Posted by ScottFromWI 
People already knew I was a drunk by my outward actions when I was drinking. If they found out that i was seeking help for my problem I honestly think that would be a good thing, not a bad one.
Denying yourself help based on paranoia/fear of an information breach is counterproductive in my book.
Denying yourself help based on paranoia/fear of an information breach is counterproductive in my book.
No one fooled me more than I fooled myself.
MM
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
