The physician must release records and information to the insurance company. If you are a member of the HMO, before you can receive care, your medical information will be reviewed by your physician and by some clerks within the company. These clerks have the authority to share that information with anyone within the company and approve or disapprove your request for care. In the traditional insurance plan as well as in the HMO, the patient's treatment will be reviewed after it is completed. The patient has no control over who within the carrier sees the records or what is done with those records thereafter.
Patients receiving psychiatric or psychological care are even more vulnerable.
These practitioners must submit an Outpatient Treatment Request form to get prior approval for patient visits. These forms are long and require detailed information about the patient's case. The greater the detail and the greater the problem delineated, the greater the likelihood that visits will be authorized. The ultimate exposure of patient information may now occur with the computer age. Hospital systems are computerizing their medical records and coordinating the systems with practitioners' offices outside of the hospital's physical plant.