Why Patient Privacy Still Matters in Plastic Surgery

The Overlooked Risk in Plastic Surgery Startups

When opening a new plastic surgery practice, most of the focus goes to marketing, hiring, and getting your systems in place. But one area that’s often overlooked, until it becomes a problem, is patient privacy.

Whether you're working with plastic surgery consultants, practice management consultants, or building your own plastic surgery start-up from the ground up, privacy and compliance should be part of your early conversations.

Pro Tip: Compliance best practices are easiest to implement on day one. It's a lot harder (and more expensive) to clean up gaps once you're already up and running.

Does HIPAA Apply to Cash-Pay Cosmetic Practices?

This is one of the most common questions we get: “If I’m running a cash-pay, cosmetic-only practice, does HIPAA still apply?”

The short answer is: probably, yes.

Even if you're not submitting claims to insurance yourself, think about your business holistically. Are you:

• Sending prescriptions to a pharmacy?

• Ordering labs that go through insurance?

• Consulting with other providers who do bill insurance?

If any part of your workflow touches covered entities or triggers the use of protected health information (PHI), then HIPAA could apply.

We always recommend you check with a healthcare attorney to be sure (and check state specific privacy laws), but don't assume you're exempt just because you're cash-pay.

The Social Media Risk No One’s Talking About

In the age of Instagram and TikTok, practices are leaning into behind-the-scenes content. We’ve even seen videos of peer-to-peer calls with insurance companies being posted or edited by third-party social media teams.

That’s where things get risky. Even if you're not showing a patient’s name or face, just the mention of their case, procedure, or insurance details could qualify as PHI.

And storing these calls on a shared cloud drive or sending them off for editing? That could be a HIPAA violation if not properly handled.

What Should You Be Doing Instead?

• Have a clear internal policy on what can and can’t be recorded

• Limit access to files containing sensitive information

• Use HIPAA-compliant tools for storage and communication

• Train your staff and contractors on privacy expectations

Build Privacy into Your Practice Culture

Protecting patient privacy isn’t just about avoiding fines. It’s about trust. Patients want to feel confident that what they share with your team stays private, even when the cameras are rolling.

Whether you’re just opening or running a growing practice, making privacy a priority sets the tone for a professional and ethical brand.