Explore Your Patient Privacy Rights in Context

What U.S. Patients Need to Know About Their Health Privacy Rights

Patient privacy is about far more than medical records—it's about protecting your ability to live freely and safely. When sensitive health information is shared, it can shape how others treat you and what opportunities you have, from jobs and promotions to housing, education, and credit. Privacy protections make it possible to seek care honestly, without fear that a diagnosis, medication, or therapy will be used against you in other parts of your life. It strengthens trust between patients and clinicians, safeguards dignity, and reduces the risk that deeply personal information will be misunderstood, stigmatized, or exploited. Privacy protections also increase your transparency into how your information is shared so that, if harm occurs, you can understand what happened and where it came from.

The United States has thousands of privacy laws, each narrowly focused on a specific sector or situation, with inconsistent coverage and uneven rights. That's why context matters: to understand your patient privacy rights, you have to look at which laws apply to a particular use of your personal health information—and what protections (and gaps) result—so you can make informed decisions.

This resource explains your patient privacy rights—and where protections fall short—in the following contexts (select one):

Healthcare Employment Finances Credit Reports Housing Education Insurance eHealth Internet Marketing Purchases Reputation Mental Health Addiction Children Adolescents Law Enforcement Courts Prison Genetics HIV/AIDS Abortion Domestic Violence Harassment Data Collections Medical Insurance Life Insurance Disability Insurance Long-term Care Workers' Compensation Auto Insurance

Taken together, the pages linked above are designed to help you navigate the uneven patchwork of laws and policies that govern your personal health information—so you can recognize when strong protections apply, identify where the gaps are, and take practical steps to reduce risk. And when something feels wrong—whether it’s a breach, unexpected disclosure, or misuse—document what happened and consider reporting it through the channels described. In a system where privacy depends so heavily on context, informed patients are an essential line of defense.

The biggest gap across contexts is transparency: once an organization shares your sensitive health information, you often can’t see where it goes next—who received it, how it was used, or how to trace any resulting harm back to its source. That blind spot leaves your legal rights with limited practical power.

No one should have to give up privacy to receive health services—or to benefit from today's wellness tools, devices, and health innovations. To stay informed as rules and practices evolve and incidents occur, join our mailing list. And if you experience a concerning situation tied to your health information, please report the incident so we can track patterns and strengthen public accountability. Donate, as you are able, to support this work.

This resource was created and is maintained by PPR President Dr. Latanya Sweeney. Please share your feedback and let Dr. Sweeney know about the ways you've used it, and if you have any suggestions.