Patient Privacy Information

Johns Hopkins is committed to protecting your health information. Our Notice of Privacy Practices explains how all members of the Johns Hopkins organizations will safeguard your privacy.

HIPAA and What it Means to You

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which became a law in 1996. All Johns Hopkins health care providers and health insurance plans must comply with HIPAA.

HIPAA is complex and has many components. Two major areas addressed include:

1. Privacy. It provides rules regarding how your health information may be used and disclosed.
2. Security. It requires specific security measures to protect health information that is sent or stored electronically.

Your Rights Under HIPAA

Some of the rights you have under HIPAA include the right to:

• Receive a copy of the Johns Hopkins Notice of Privacy Practices
• Review and get a copy of your health and billing information
• Ask that your health and billing information be amended (changed)
• Ask for restrictions on the use of your health and billing information
• Ask for confidential communications
• Find out, in some circumstances, who outside of Johns Hopkins has been given your health information within the last 6 years
• File a complaint with Johns Hopkins or with the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you feel your privacy has been violated

Exercising your privacy rights

If you would like to obtain information on how to request to inspect and/or receive a copy of your health information; request a restriction on the use or disclosure of your health information; request confidential communications; request a disclosure of your health information; or for other questions, please contact the medical records department (sometimes referred to as health information services or something similar) at your Johns Hopkins health care provider or the plan administrator at your Johns Hopkins health plan.

Some of those key numbers include:

For providers

• for Johns Hopkins Hospital: 410-955-5226
• for Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center: 410-550-0688
• for Howard County General Hospital: 410-740-7953
• for Johns Hopkins Community Physicians: 410-338-3480
• for Johns Hopkins Home Care Group: 410-288-8174
• for Suburban Hospital: 301-896-37777
• for Sibley Memorial Hospital: 202-537-4088
• for Signature Ob/Gyn: 410-884-8131

For Health Plans

• for Johns Hopkins HealthCare/Employee Health Programs: 410-424-4450
• for Uniformed Services Family Health Plan at Johns Hopkins: 410-424-4528
• for Priority Partners Managed Care Organization: 410-424-4500

If you would like to request an amendment to your health information; request an accounting of disclosures of your health information; or raise a privacy complaint, please contact the Johns Hopkins Privacy Officer as specified below.

What do you do if you have any questions or would like further information?

Please contact:
Johns Hopkins Privacy Officer
5801 Smith Avenue
McAuley Hall, Suite 310
Baltimore, MD 21209
Phone: 410-735-6509
Fax 410-735-6521
Email: hipaa@jhmi.edu

Notice of Privacy Practices

Below is the Notice of Privacy Practices for Johns Hopkins Health Care Providers and for various Johns Hopkins Health Plans: (Note: You will need Acrobat Reader to view some of these files.) 

1. Johns Hopkins Notice of Privacy Practices for Health Care Providers
2. Johns Hopkins Notice of Privacy Practices for Health Care Providers (available in multiple languages)
3. Johns Hopkins Notice of Privacy Practices for Health Plans (EHP Plans)
4. Hopkins ElderPlus Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
5. Johns Hopkins Health System/Johns Hopkins Hospital Notice of Privacy Practices for HealthCare Flexible Spending Account

CRISP

Our Notice of Privacy Practices identifies that some of our Johns Hopkins health care provider organizations participate in the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients, Inc. (CRISP), an internet-based, state-wide, state-approved health information exchange. We may share information that we obtain or create about you with other health care providers or other health care entities for treatment, payment and health care operations purposes, as permitted by law, through CRISP. For example, information about your past medical care and current medical conditions and medications can be available to us or to your non-Johns Hopkins primary care physician or hospital, if they participate in CRISP as well. Exchange of health information can provide faster access, better coordination of care and assist providers and public health officials in making more informed treatment decisions. You may opt-out of CRISP and prevent providers from being able to search for your information through the exchange. Even if you opt-out, a certain amount of your information may be retained by the exchange, and your ordering or referring physicians, if participating in CRISP, may access diagnostic information about you, such as reports of imaging and lab results. Also, your physicians, if participating in CRISP, still may use CRISP's secure messaging services to discuss your care.

Information from your medical records that we obtain or create about you, as permitted by law, also may be shared through CRISP with your health plan or health insurance company for the sole purposes of enhancing or coordinating your care.

You may "opt-out" and prevent searching for your medical information through CRISP, or prevent the sharing of your information with your health plan or health insurance company, by contacting CRISP at 1-877-952-7477 or completing and submitting an Opt-Out form to CRISP by mail or through their website at www.crisphealth.org/. Not all of the Johns Hopkins organizations participate in CRISP; your Johns Hopkins health care provider can provide information as to whether or not it participates in CRISP.