At Gallatin Plastic Surgery, we take pride in the privacy and confidentiality of our patients. HIPAA, short for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is a federal law that was put into place in 1996. HIPAA ensures that no one can access another individual’s private health information without that individual’s consent. From time to time, patients will allow others access to their medical records such as a spouse, mother, father, or whoever they trust with their confidential medical information. HIPAA enables our patients to choose what specific information (if any) they will allow a close family member or friend to know. It is important that a trusted individual is able to speak on your behalf, should they need to for any reason, and you should therefore update your HIPAA form from time to time.