HIPAA: Primary federal law governing medical privacy, including Privacy Rule requirements, specific authorization requirements, patient rights regarding medical information, and requirements for valid authorization forms
State-Specific Medical Privacy Laws: Additional state-level privacy protections, requirements for medical record release, varying retention periods, and state-specific patient rights that may exceed federal requirements
42 CFR Part 2: Federal regulations providing additional protections and specific consent requirements for substance abuse treatment records
HITECH Act: Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act governing electronic health records, including additional privacy and security provisions
Mental Health Records Laws: Special provisions and additional consent requirements for mental health records, which vary by state
Patient Identification Requirements: Mandatory inclusion of patient identifying information in authorization forms for verification purposes
Healthcare Provider Information Requirements: Mandatory inclusion of healthcare provider details who are authorized to release the information
Information Description Requirement: Specific description of what medical information is to be released must be clearly stated
Purpose Declaration Requirement: Clear statement of the purpose for which the medical information will be disclosed
Expiration Requirement: Inclusion of either an expiration date or event for the authorization
Revocation Rights: Statement explaining the patient's right to revoke the authorization
Redisclosure Disclaimer: Warning statement about potential redisclosure of information once released
Signature Requirements: Patient signature and date requirements, including potential witness signatures as required by state law
