Are mental health records/hospitalizations visible to the public?

Question

Like if someone conducted a background check online,as a criminal record would be...

Answer 1

HIPAA Laws do not allow access so.........No, unless there was a court record stating incarceration. Public records are available from the courts. Not medical records.

Answer 2

No that would be 100% illegal if reported in any way. You have to sign out your own medical records so unless someone commits fraud to get the information no. Every background check type there is would be included here: http://www.eFindOutTheTruth.com as you can see no medical or mental health records are available.

Answer 3

Absolutely not. No one has access to these unless it is for purposes of treatment, insurance payments for treatment, or if you give your permission to disclose this information. Otherwise, it is illegal for people to get someones mental health information if they are not involved in the individual's treatment.

These rules have essentially been in effect for many years, but they were formally codified in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). It was not fully put into effect until 2003.

Although HIPAA is referred to as a "new thing", laws regarding mental health information have not really changed significantly since I started in the field in 1987. HIPAA offered more change on other areas of healthcare than it did in mental health. However, the guidelines for penalty when the laws are broken have become more specific.

Violation of HIPAA can result in stiff fines, lawsuits, and even prison time.

But, please let me add, that if a mental health patient has actually committed violent acts or threatened to do so, the HIPAA laws can be waived under a concept called "Duty To Warn." For example, if a patient is in a psychitaric hospital and the hospital staff heard the guy threaten to kill a certain person, they have a duty to warn the person who was threatened.

Answer 4

I know a case where medical records were made public. but the incidence started with a mistake made by one of the doctor's staff. The records were copied and passed around to people who should have never seen them. The case is going to court.
My doctor told me that my insurance company has access to my medical records. So, while records are not suppose to be visible to the public, they are not 100% safe.

Answer 5

No. Mental health records are treated the same as any other medical records.

Answer 6

They are not supposed to be. But I guess if you know what you are doing, you can find anything. I know law enforcement and others are able to get that information. However, I believe if someone is running a background check, all they get is if you have every been arrested and what it was for and the outcome.

Answer 7

I have conducted background checks for companies and this infomation is not available. There are many privacy laws in place to keep this sort of info private.

Answer 8

they should not be made available unless you have given consent....in writing.....

If you want to keep all your personal health records safe, secure and accessible 24/7 - youshould try http://www.MedicalRecords247.com which is completely free....this way if someone wants to see your medical records in an emergency, you can give them limited access.....

Answer 9

no. I am a paralegal, it falls under health records. and that is private unless you sign a release and even that is only really for dr.s and you.

Answer 10

NO that should discourage human beings from in seek of help after which you may only have extra undiagnosed mentally sick persons. There could desire to be a finished revamping of the state psychological wellness care even with the indisputable fact that, investment longer hospitalizations and actual social workers to persist with up those with issues. in spite of the undeniable fact that, i does no longer be appalled on the belief of a central authority corporation or branch that's in fee of screening gun purposes , and in letting that corporation to envision psychological wellness data. that may not inevitably making the data "public" that's only letting a central authority corporation have get admission to to them, which happens each and every of the time. Having a central authority entity demonstrate screen them is not any further public than an corporation like baby preserving centers getting access to a baby's scientific data. that may not making those data 'public'. The observe "public" includes letting newspapers or attorneys or popular human beings off the line only ask for the data. in case you get carry of raped and sought psychological wellness counseling considering the fact which you have been depressed or disillusioned approximately it, could you like the well-known public, ex boyfriend, inner maximum detective working for the protection of your rapist, a newspaper, or every person to have get admission to on your counseling data? What in case you have been a action picture star in seek of counseling for melancholy or rigidity or substance abuse, think of it is going to possibly be a headline? What in case you have been a mom in a custody conflict who is going in for counseling for rigidity assaults? choose your husband to have the skill to get a working checklist of each and every thing you ever pronounced on your counselor to tug it into courtroom and make you appear to be a psycho no longer worth mom? Please. think of appropriate to the outcomes. no one could go in to be dealt with for something anymore, and that does no longer sparkling up lots in any respect. Please do no longer make it a criminal offense to be "mentally sick". that may not honest. lots of human beings have psychological issues that are no longer risky and only choose therapy for issues.