Data Privacy
DHCS’ Office of Legal Services and Data Privacy Unit work collaboratively with counties, business associates, and other state agencies to safeguard Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). DHCS also works with these entities to investigate privacy breaches and complaints involving unauthorized access or disclosure of PHI, PII, and confidential information.
The Data Privacy Unit has no authority to investigate reports of privacy breaches for individuals who are not Medi-Cal beneficiaries or entities with whom it does not have an existing agreement. If you are a Medi-Cal beneficiary or otherwise receive services through a DHCS program (i.e. California Children’s Services, Genetically Handicapped Persons Program), and you believe your data was compromised, please contact your local county office using the link below:
If you are a county, DHCS business associate, or other state agency with whom DHCS has an established contractual relationship, you can submit an incident/breach report to the DHCS Privacy Incident Reporting Portal using the link below:
DHCS Privacy Incident Reporting Portal
Contact Information
| Name | Phone Number | Email Address | Mailing Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy Office | N/A | DHCSPrivacyOfficer@dhcs.ca.gov | 1501 Capitol Avenue MS0010 P.O. Box 997413 Sacramento, CA95899-7413 |
| Data Privacy Unit | (916) 445-4646 Fax: (916) 327-4556 Toll Free: (866) 866-0602 TTY/TDD: (877) 735-2929 | incidents@dhcs.ca.gov | California Department of Health Care Services Data Privacy Unit 1700 K Street MS 4721 P.O. Box 997413, Sacramento, CA 95899-7413 |
Breach Reporting
- For entities required to report any security or Privacy Incident to DHCS:
- For Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) covered entities, please notify the Secretary of Health and Human Services:
- For counties, please see the latest Medi-Cal Privacy and Security Agreement for breach reporting requirements to DHCS:
- For individuals, report violations of your rights to the federal Office for Civil Rights, housed within the Department of Health and Human Services:
Member Rights and Information
- For information about an individual’s privacy rights and how their protected health information may be used and disclosed, please see:
- For privacy forms to help individuals access their protected health information and exercise other privacy rights, please see:
- For any questions regarding Medi-Cal and other DHCS programs, please refer to:
- County Offices and follow the link to your county office for assistance
- For applications for health coverage or questions regarding Medi-Cal eligibility, please refer to:
- For reporting physician malpractice or a violation of medical practice laws:
California toll-free line: 1-800-633-2322
Phone: (916) 263-2424
Fax: (916) 263-2435
TDD: (916) 263-0935
Visit the DHCS’ HIPAA Page For General Information