Patients' Bill of Rights

MHHC is committed to providing you with the best available health care as efficiently as possible. Our policy is to respect your individuality, your dignity, and your privacy.

You have certain rights in your relationship with health center personnel that are consistent with the laws of New York State.

Click here for: Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

As a patient, you have the right to ….

• receive service(s) without regard to age, race, color, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, sex, national origin, number of pregnancies or sponsor
• be treated with consideration, respect and dignity including privacy in treatment;
• be informed of the services available at the center;
• be informed of the provisions for off-hours emergency coverage;
• be informed of the charges of services, eligibility for third-party reimbursements and, when applicable, the availability of free or reduced cost care;
• receive an itemized copy of his/her account statement, upon request;
• obtain from his/her health care practitioner, or the health care practitioner’s delegate, complete and current information concerning his/her diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms the patient can be reasonably expected to understand;
• receive from his/her physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any nonemergency procedure or treatment or both. An informed consent shall include, as a minimum, the provision of information concerning the specific procedure or treatment or both, the reasonably foreseeable risks involved, and alternatives for care or treatment, in any, as a reasonable medical practitioner under similar circumstances would disclose in a manner permitting the patient to make a knowledgeable decision;
• refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be fully informed of the medical consequence of his/her action;
• refuse to participate in experimental research;
• voice grievances and recommend changes in policies and services to the center’s staff, the operator and the New York State Department of Health without fear of reprisal;
• Complain without fear of reprisals about the care and services you are receiving and be given a written response if you request it. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can complain to the New York State Department of Health at Centralized Hospital Intake, by phone at (800) 804-5447, by fax at (518) 402-6357, by email at hospinfo@health.state.ny.us or in writing to 433 River Street, Suite 303, Troy, New York 12180;
• privacy and confidentiality of all information and records pertaining to the patient’s treatment;
• approve or refuse the release or disclosure of the contents of his/her medical record to any healthcare practitioner and/or health-care facility except as required by law or third-party payment contract;
• access his/her medical record pursuant to the provisions of section 18 of the Public Health Law, and Subpart 50-3 of this Title;
• authorize those family members and other adults who will be given priority to visit consistent with your ability to receive visitors; and
• make known your wishes in regard to anatomical gifts. You may document your wishes in your health care proxy or on a donor card, available from the center