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Model Notices of Privacy Practices

The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires health plans and covered health care providers to develop and distribute a notice that provides a clear, user friendly explanation of individuals rights with respect to their personal health information and the privacy practices of health plans and health care providers. This page provides options for meeting the requirement to create notices of privacy practices (NPP).

HHS developed the model NPPs you see on this site to help improve patient experience and understanding. These models use plain language and approachable designs.

The options below are separated into two sets, for health plans and health care providers.  Each set contains three formatted options and a text only option, in both English and Spanish. They are:

  • Notice in the form of a booklet (preferred by consumers in focus testing);
  • A layered notice that presents a summary of the information on the first page, followed by the full content on the following pages;
  • A notice with the design elements found in the booklet, but formatted for full page presentation.
  • A text only version of the notice.

The models reflect the regulatory changes of the Omnibus Rule (2013).  In particular, the models highlight the new patient right to access their electronic information held in an electronic health record, if their provider has an EHR in their practice.  Covered entities may use these models by entering their specific information. Please review Questions and Instructions documents before personalizing the notice.

For more information about the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the Notice requirements, see: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/coveredentities/notice.html

Instructions - 

NPP Provider Files -

English

Spanish

NPP Health Plan Files -

English

Spanish


  • A covered entity must make its notice available to any person who asks for it.
  • A covered entity must prominently post and make available its notice on any web site it maintains that provides information about its customer services or benefits.

The Office for Civil Rights and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology collaborated to develop these model Notices of Privacy Practices.

Covered entities that are subject to both the HIPAA Privacy Rule and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should visit the FAQs at http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/1557faqs/index.html for more information about providing taglines, which alert individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) to the availability of language assistance services, and notices of nondiscrimination on entities’ Notices of Privacy Practices.  OCR provides more information about Section 1557 and makes available translated resources for use by covered entities at:http://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557.

Revised February 2014Model Notices of Privacy Practices

 

Frequently Asked Questions for Professionals - Please see the HIPAA FAQs for additional guidance on health information privacy topics.

Content created by Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
Content last reviewed on April 8, 2013