What is a HIPAA medical release form?

A HIPPA medical release form is signed to allow other individuals or organizations to have access to a patient's personal medical records, medical history and health information. A patient must sign it voluntarily to grant access to outside individuals.

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It was created as a federal law to protect a patient's or individual's medical records and health information for privacy purposes, so not just anyone can access this information. The law is designed to limit who health care providers share medical information with and can only be released to parties outside the doctor's office with a patient's permission.