All medical including mental health personnel in the united states now upon intake be it for therapy an ER visit or family physicians must give a paper to the client that explains thier rights to privacy and how that agency can on emergency basis of threat of harm to themselves or others disclose information that will enable the person to recieve treatment. The clients are asked to read it then initial that they read and understand what they have read. Some people have been known to say Ive read it before and initialed it without actually reading it. Patients are being informed of the law according to the laws standards. Some agencies go above the standards of placing this stuff in written form and having them initial after reading it by actually taking time to read through it with their clients. If a patient isn't informed about this law they have done like I did before having the caseworker from hell bluffed reading and initialed to save time. Now I not only read it I look for changes that may have been made to the law since my last initializing. Yes insurance needs some info but they dont ask for major details. they ask the prescribing doctor to write down the diagnosis and treatment plan but they don't go into symtoms and what is said during exams and therapy and so on. They just want to know that the money they are giving out is going to legitimate claims. My family physician said this law actually made his life easier because he cant go into major details like he used to have to. Everything is now by code numbers too. as he called it - "It's now name rank and serial number and if they need anything else I tell them I must see an active signed release form from client before disclosing more information persuent to HIPPA Privacy Law." The insurance companies usually pay and don't require more information from him.