HIPAA Policy Information Analysis

In 2009, President Obama signed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to promote meaningful use of health information technology (Jha, 2015). Before the HITECH Act was passed, only about 17% of U.S. doctors and about 9% of U.S. hospitals were using an EHR according to Jha (2015). During 2013, the percentages increased to

. HIPAA privacy rules are complicated and extensive, and set forth guidelines to be followed by health care providers and other covered entities such as insurance carriers and by consumers. HIPAA is very specific in its requirements regarding the release of information, but is not as specific when it comes to the manner in which training and policies are developed and delivered within the health care industry. This paper will discuss how HIPAA affects a patient's access to their medical records, how and under what circumstances personal health information can be released to other entities for purposes

In 2009, the U.S. Government passed The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology (Mangalmurti, Murtagh and Mello 2060). The HITECH Act authorizes grants and incentives to promote the “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHR) by providers (2060). The effect is a high commitment to a technology-led system reform, urging a renewed national commitment to building an information infrastructure to support health care delivery, consumer health, quality measurement and improvement, public accountability, clinical and health services research, and clinical

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a set of national standards created for the protection of health information; it is also known as a “Privacy Rule”. This rule was employed in 1996 by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to address the use and disclosure of an individual’s health information as well as the standards for the individual’s privacy rights to understand and control the manner in which their information is used.

HITECH Act was enacted to ensure meaningful use of electronic health records between members of the care team in order to increase patient

HITECH stands for The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act It is legislation that was created and signed in 2009 by President Obama. The electronic health records (HER) legislation activate the adoption and embracing technology in the United States. HITECH signed by President Obama into law on Feb. 17, 2009, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) economic stimulus bill.

It is important for all health care recipients and health care providers to read information regarding HIPAA that way everyone will be informed of what rights are privacy they are entitled to and the workers are aware of what information needs to remain confidential. People can receive handouts regarding information about HIPAA, as well as the Internet. There are hundreds of online websites that people can go to in order to receive more information on how HIPAA works and what is required to ensure everyone follows the laws that go along with HIPAA. Breaking the law can have some major consequences so it is important to understand HIPAA and what privacy laws are enforced to protect a patient’s information. The information that is

Access the CMS website and locate information regarding the Meaningful Use Act. In 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) legislation was created to stimulate the adoption of electronic health records(EHR) and supporting technology in the United States. On Feb 17, 2009, President Obama signed HITECH into law as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) economic stimulus bill. The HITECH Act outlined the intended plans for the adoption of electronic health records through meaningful use. The CMS Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs have evolved into three stages of meaningful use with their own priorities, goals and their own final rule. Meaningful Use means “providers

In order to minimize the risks for potential privacy breaches, the health information management (HIM) director has to understand all facets of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This should include conducting an audit of their practices. In this scenario, an audit would have been useful to detect the improper access by the employee sooner. HIPAA uses both its privacy and security regulations to “protect consumer’s health information, allow consumers greater access and control to such information, enhance health care, and finally to create a national framework for health care privacy protection” (Amaguin, n.d.). These privacy and security regulations serve as the “only national set of regulations that governs

The HIPAA Privacy Rule creates business processes to protect the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI). PHI includes any information about health status, type of care, or payment related to care that can be related to an individual. The term is broad, and generally includes all information contained in a patient’s medical record and payment history. It includes demographics, in paper, electronic, or oral form. PHI is not limited to the documents contained in the official medical record. The HIPAA Privacy Rule allows the use and disclosure of this PHI for treatment, payment, and health care operations without written authorization from the patient. Other uses and disclosures require permission or consent from the individual.

The HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules mandate that healthcare providers and organizations and their respective business associates abide by HIPAA rules when they create and follow procedures that must be transmitted, obtained, handled, or shared. In addition, during these processes, the confidentiality and security of all protected health information (PHI) must be achieved and maintained (Hernandez, 2015). Moreover, there are instances when PHI can and cannot be disclosed. Stanford (n.d) differentiates between information that is “shared” and “disclosed.” Shared applies to PHI utilized within the covered entity; whereas, “disclosed” pertains to PHI shared outside of the covered entity (Stanford, n.d). Furthermore, Stanford (n.d.) states that according to the Privacy Rule, it consents employing or disclosing PHI for the following purposes:

HITECH Act provides billions of dollars in incentive payments through Medicare and Medicaid programs to providers that meaningfully use EHR. The HITECH Act also revised many segments of the Social Security Act (SSA) and in doing so, recognized the accessibility of incentive payments to providers to encourage the acceptance and Meaningful Use of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT). The ARRA provides the incentives to the following groups: hospitals, healthcare clinics, private practices, nursing facilities, long term health care facilities, and metal institutions.

Ten years ago after much challenges and questionable skepticism, the HIPAA policy became effective and has been shaping healthcare one regulatory policy at a time. The evolution of the HIPAA privacy act helped establish the HIPAA Security Rule which was published in 2003 and became effective in 2005, and then eventually led to the HIPAA Enforcement Rules and the Breach Notification Rule. With it joint fortification of the 2009 HITECH Act and HIPAA’s modifications to regulations, it was released in January 2013 to the industry (American Health Information Management Association, 2013).

Legislation such as the Health Information Technology for Economics and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act promoted meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR) to provide better patient outcomes (CDC, n.d.). Meaningful use is regulated by CMS and National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and is based on five goals including: improving quality, safety, efficiency and reducing health disparities, engage patients and families in their health, improve care coordination, improve population and public health,

With time, technology has become a great part of people’s lives. Hospitals who receive state reimbursement were mandated to convert all their paper records to electronic records by 2014 (Federal Mandates, n.d.). El Camino Hospital gives a clear understanding regarding their use of Electronic Health Records and how the information is used, shared, and secured (Privacy Practices, n.d.). Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia doesn’t mention their use of electronic health records at all, their policy only describes