The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Essay

US Congress created the Hipaa bill in 1996 because of public concern of how their private information was being used. It is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which Congress created to protect confidentiality, privacy and security of patient information. It was also for health care documents to be passed electronically. Hipaa is a privacy rule, which gives patients control over their health information. Patients have to give permission any healthcare provider can disclose any information placed in the individual’s medical records. It helps limit protected health information (PHI) to minimize the chance of inappropriate disclosure. It establishes national-level standards that healthcare providers must comply with and strictly investigates compliance related issues while holding violators to civil or criminal penalties if they violate the privacy of a person’s PHI. Hipaa also has boundaries for using and disclosing health records by covered entities; a healthcare provider, health plan, and healthcare clearinghouse. It also supports the cause of disclosing PHI without a person’s consent for individual healthcare needs, public benefit and national interests. The portability part of Hipaa guarantees patients health insurance to employees after losing a job, making sure health insurance providers can’t discriminate against people because of health status or pre-existing condition, and keeps their files safe while being sent electronically. The Privacy

Medical Assistants are the ones that work with patients the most and need to take great caution to make sure they follow HIPAA guidelines and the proper procedures. While also making sure the office and their selves are protecting the privacy and confidentiality of their patients information.

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.

All healthcare providers, health organizations, and government health plans that use, store, maintain, or transmit patient health care information are required to comply with the privacy regulations of the HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA is related to the privacy of patients when it comes to their medical records and health information. It controls how the information can be shared with others. Without HIPAA, patients are more wary of sharing information with their health care providers, which influences the care they receive. Every patient is asked to sign a HIPAA form when seen by a doctor to ensure they understand that their information will only be shared with relevant parties. Relevant parties could include family members and law enforcement depending on the type of problem.

The privacy rule applies to personal health information in any form, electronic or paper, which includes the entire medical record. Individuals have full access to their information, can limit who can gain access to his or her records, can request changes to their medical record if there’s any reason they suspect that the information isn't accurate. In addition, the private information shared is kept to the minimal amount needed. Also, the patients have the privilege to decide whether or not to release their protected health information or PHI for purposes unrelated to any treatments or payment issues, such as research project. (Krager & Krager, 2008) HIPAA implemented specific code sets for diagnosis and procedures to be used in all transactions. Covered entities must adhere to the content and format requirements of each standard. (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, n.d)The security rule supplements the privacy rule; it deals specifically with electronic PHI or ePHI. It applies to covered entities that transmit health information in electronically. The Security Rule requires covered entities to keep appropriate

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

HIPAA, signed into law in 1996, addresses various healthcare issues including insurance coverages, tax-related provisions and group health insurance requirements. HIPPA includes the Privacy Rule which establishes national standards to safeguard patient’s protected healthcare information (“PHI”) including medical records and gives patients access to their health information. These standards apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses and providers who manage healthcare transactions electronically including pharmacists and pharmacy staff.

HIPAA is an acronym that stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is a US law designed to provide privacy standards to protect patients medical records, as well as other health information provided to Health Plans, Doctors, Hospitals, and other healthcare providers (Medicinenet.com, 2017). Developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, this program was designed to give patients better access to their medical records and more control and how those records are distributed.

What does the HIPAA Privacy Rule require the average provider or health plan to do? It is a requirement under the HIPAA Privacy Rule that each patient knows their privacy rights and how their medical information can be used. The Rule also includes that each facility has adequate training for its employees. The securing of patient records containing identifiable information so that only authorized personnel can access them

HIPAA privacy law set rules and regulations within healthcare. Many of the processes were changed. Now there are security standards in place that protect the confidentiality and privacy of the patient health record. Patients have more rights and privacy protection to access their own PHI. The HIPAA Privacy Rule contains provisions relating to the prevention of medical malpractice, fraud, and abuse.

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).

HIPAA also known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was passed by congress and signed by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1966. HIPAA includes several provisions and is the United States legislation that protects the privacy and security of patients’ medical health information and records. This Act contains five different sections that addressed different aspects of healthcare. Section one protects individuals’ healthcare coverage that have lost or changed jobs, as well as prohibiting discrimination due to pre-existing conditions. Section two was anticipated to combat fraud, waste and abuse by establishing national standards that remained in compliance with privacy regulations. Section three includes making sure that the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) provides tax

3.) Under HIPAA, covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouse) must comply with the privacy rules. A covered entity may develop its own privacy rules that would accommodate its own needs of protected health information (PHI) management but it most comply with the HIPAA guidelines. It is the responsibility of the entity to put in place a privacy official to oversee the policies, procedures and be on hand and available to be contacted in reference to the privacy rule. A patient should be given a privacy notice act at his/her health facility stating how their (PHI) is being used and to whom it will be shared. The covered entity should include in the notice their duty to assure the patients privacy as well as how and whom to contact if there is a complaint or they feel that their rights have been violated. As of 2009 the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) handles complaints that are made on privacy policies, procedure and practices of HIPAA covered entities.

Then there are also the concerns of privacy issues. This is when HIPPA comes into effect. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulates the privacy of health information exchange. The HIPPA reduces health care fraud and abuse. It protects the privacy of all individual’s health information.