Patient's Privacy Protection Act
Tenn. Patient's Privacy Protection Act
Health
Gives every patient at a licensed Tennessee health care facility a right to privacy for the care received there. Facilities may not divulge a patient's name, address, or other identifying information except for required reports, payer administrative access, treating providers, directory information when the patient has been told of and not used the right to object, and certain fraud investigations.
- Where
- Tennessee
- Citation
- Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 68-11-1501 to 68-11-1505
- Status
- In force
- Enforced by
- Tennessee Department of Health and licensing board (penalties and injunctions under title 68, chapter 11); patients through civil actions
- People can sue
- Yes
- Penalties
- The penalties and injunctions available under title 68, chapter 11 apply, and patients may bring civil actions for damages for invasion of privacy (§ 68-11-1504).
- Applies to
- Health care facilities licensed by the Tennessee board for licensing health care facilities, and health care providers
What a privacy notice must say
- Release directory information (name, general status, location, phone) only if the patient was told on admission of the right to object and did not object.Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-11-1503(a)(1)(D)
Rights it gives people
- Every patient receiving care at a licensed health care facility has a right to privacy for that care.Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-11-1502
Practices it requires
- Do not divulge a patient's name, address, or other identifying information except for listed purposes (required reporting, payer reviews, treating providers, Medicaid fraud investigations).Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-11-1503(a)(1)
Sources
- Official text
- 2010 Tenn. Pub. Acts ch. 862 ("Colby Stansberry Act"), amending part 15, Tennessee Secretary of State
- Tenn. Code Ann. title 68, ch. 11, part 15 (2025 code text and history, Justia)
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Unverified: Original 1996 act (ch. 873) not fetched; effective and latest amendment dates left null (code history lists amendments through 2010 ch. 862). | The remainder of § 68-11-1503 (provider duties) and § 68-11-1505 (subpoenas) were not read in full. Tennessee's separate medical-records confidentiality provisions (§ 63-2-101 and title 68, ch. 11, part 3) were not researched.
Research reference, not legal advice.