Let me put it this way, if your plan doesn't pay for certain care (ie smoking cessation), how do they know that what you are seen for is a covered service unless the doctor tells them what you were seen for.
No insurance that I know covers everything. They all have their provisions, so it is up to the doctors billing department to tell them what you were seen for.
As I said, you can opt out by paying cash. Or by asking your doctor to let you submit the claim on your own, and then only submitting the ones that you think ok for them to see.
This is my job to submit these claims, so I am up to date on all of the HIPPA rules and regulations, and I will tell you that this particular rule we are talking about would have made it extremely difficult for your physician to get payment for your treatment, and I could have forseen many, many more physicians refusing to submit to any insurance and telling the patient that would be their responsibility.
Insurers waste the time of the physician and add huge staffing issues to the physician and hospital by "requiring" more information before paying. These requests for "more info" are now infringing on patient privacy, the autonomy of physician decision making, and the health of our nation.
I am also "up to date" on all of the HIPAA rules. As a matter of fact, I WAS INVOLVED WITH THE PROCESS TO WRITE THE CODE. The current code is NOT what was intended by physicians who wanted gov't to PROTECT the American people's interests BEFORE the interests of insurers.
Having patients submit claims would at least bring the insurer into a mode where they need to respond to the people. Right now, the insurers are not responsible to anyone.