Comment by FireBeyond

The other person who replied to you is much more accurate.

> HIPAA also makes it maximally difficult to involve other people, providers, and entities in your health care.

If I am a provider (and I am, or have been) of yours, I can get information from other providers on the care they've provided you. In fact, as appropriate, I can get it without your permission or consent (particularly useful in situations of pill-seeking, or mental health, but other situations too, that I encountered as a paramedic).

While many providers will get you to sign paperwork consenting to this, it is mostly CYA.