Kansas City, Mo. ? For years, hospitals in Kansas and across the nation have been getting ready for Monday — the day health providers must begin complying with new federal regulations that protect patient privacy.

The rules give patients new power to keep their medical information secret, copy their records and find out who has seen them. The regulations stem from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, which Congress passed in 1996.

Dr. Robert J. Spaniol, director of HIPAA commitment at KU Med in Kansas City, Kan., said that anywhere people went to receive care, they would receive a written notification about the law. Hospitals will be able to share less information with friends, ministers and family members not directly involved in caring for the patient.

One of the most noticeable differences at KU Med will be when people call to get detailed information about a patient, Miller said. The hospital will be using code numbers for patients, who can give them to other people if they want, Miller said. People must have the right code number to get details about a patient.

News reporters also won’t be able to get information about accident and crime victims as easily. Hospitals will be able to confirm that a patient is there and provide a one-word condition, as long as the patient does not request that information not being released.

But first, patients must acknowledge they have received documentation explaining their rights. People who are unconscious or critically injured won’t be able to do that, meaning information about them may not be released for days, said KU Med spokesman Dennis McColloch.

The rules also mean some health providers have had to remove patients’ names from doors.