# Question about Medical Privacy Laws

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medical-privacy-laws/699103>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 21, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medical-privacy-laws/699103 "2014-09-21T19:39:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JesterX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JesterX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JesterX)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medical-privacy-laws/699103/1 "2014-09-21T19:39:38Z")

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Do they prevent patients and/or insurance companies from releasing their medical bills to the public?

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**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-medical-privacy-laws/699103/2 "2014-09-21T22:03:54Z")

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I’m pretty sure that insurance companies are prohibited from releasing information (whether by HIPAA or by some other law), but there’s nothing stopping a patient from releasing _their own_ information.