The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) is a
federal law created to improve the portability and continuity of health
insurance coverage, fraud, and any abuse of health insurance and health
care delivery. In addition, it promotes the use of medical savings accounts
and improves access to care services that are long-term coverage. Lastly, it
simplifies administrative health insurance (CMS, n.d.).
Under HIPPA, covered entities are required to develop and implement
contingency plans, establishing the policies and procedures to respond to
emergencies that damage electronic health records and other protected
health information. Contingency plans must include backup, recovery, and
emergency mode operation plans (CDC, 2022). Periodically, contingency
plans should be reviewed and updated, reflecting any changes to the
covered entity's environment, such as changes to the hardware, software,
and personnel. Lastly, periodic contingency plan testing should be conducted
to ensure it is effective and up to date (CDC, 2022).
The Administrative Simplification Compliance Act (ASCA) is a federal law
requiring healthcare providers to submit any Medicare claims with exceptions
electronically. Under the law, payment of services or supplies not billed to
Medicare by the provider is prohibited. Providers must self-assess to
determine if billing requirements are met. Physicians may send in manual
submissions under particular circumstances. In addition, the CMS enforces
ASCA requirements, conducting quarterly enforcement reviews to ensure
compliance is met (CMS, 2021).
References
CDC. (2022).
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
(HIPAA)
. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html
CMS. (2021).
Administrative Simplification Compliance Act Enforcement
Reviews
. CMS.gov. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/forms-notices/cms-forms
CMS. (n.d.).
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
. U.S.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS.gov.
https://www.cms.gov/files/document/hipaa101-1pdf
