Final answer:
Complaints regarding healthcare privacy violations under HIPAA must be filed within 180 days of the incident, and medical assistants should be aware of this to guide patients properly.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient believes that their healthcare privacy has been violated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), they should be aware of the specific timeframe to file a complaint. According to HIPAA guidelines, complaints regarding a privacy violation must generally be filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within 180 days of the incident. It's crucial for medical professionals, including medical assistants, to understand these regulations to inform patients accurately and ensure due process is followed.