...THE HEALTH INSURACE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA) Abstract This paper will explain what HIPAA is, a brief history and background of it; why it is so important, what are the rules, who is protected, who needs to follow the rules and who does not, who can see the patent information, and what kind of right the patent has. In general, this paper will cover and the importance of HIPAA, and the impacts that have on consumers and providers. This paper examines Mark A. Rothstein (2013) The Federal Register published the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) omnibus amendments to the Health Insurance Portability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification Keywords: HIPAA privacy and security of health care records. THE HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA) Understanding HIPAA What is HIPAA? Department of health defined HIPAA as the federal Health insurance portability and accountability act. The objective is to make it easier for people to keep health insurance, protect the confidentiality and security of healthcare information and help the health care industry control administrative cost. HIPAA is written in 1996, enacted in April 14, 2001 and mandated in April 15, 2003. HIPAA is composed of two main rules; The HIPAA privacy rule and The HIPAA security rule. The HIPAA privacy rule provides for the privacy of individual’s personally identifiable health...
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...Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Changing Lives Heather Cuthbert COM 102 June 22, 2014 CollegeAmerica Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Changing Lives The acronym HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA was enacted by congress August 21, 1996 and signed by President Bill Clinton the same year. It had required the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HSS) to propose standards protecting the privacy of individually identifiable health information within a year by August 21, 1997 (Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, n.d.). The overall purpose of HIPAA is to improve the portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in group and individual markets. HIPAA has changed lives in many ways for patients, doctors and medical offices. As a patient it has helped to make them feel more secure with not only their health insurance, but also their personal information. Doctors have had to adjust their offices in many ways in order to comply with HIPAA. Medical offices have had to make changes in how they perform everyday tasks, including the medical offices use of electronic records (Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, n.d.). Effect on Patients HIPAA has made a great impact on the privacy of patient’s personal information. As patient’s it is important to know our rights. Patient’s now have a specific place to file a complaint and there is recourse if a medical practice violates the patient’s...
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...Evolution of Health Care: Effects of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HCS/533 AHMED JAMAL The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) have been under a continuum since it was signed during the Clinton administration in 1996 (Schwartz, 2003). Policies have been implemented to protect patients’ privacy. What the establishment of HIPAA has enforced is that patients’ information must be protected from all unauthorized parties. Patients’ information is being stored electronically. The electronic form will protect the patient’s record from all parties involved with any change that a patient is involved with including insurance companies, employers, and health care providers (Degaspari, 2011). HIPAA has become a routine function in the health care system. Safeguards have been installed on facilities that have computers that store or have access to patient information. HIPAA’s involvement with the electronic system has improved the transmission of patient data while decreasing the number of errors which by comparison improves efficiency. Organizations must implement specific security objectives under HIPAA to be compliant. Under HIPAA standards any unauthorized exposure regardless of the circumstances to which the violation takes place is harmful to the patient. The continued changes have revisited the liability of violators which suggests any organization that is involved or responsible for such actions will be held accountable regardless...
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...Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Compliance Guide US Department of Health and Human Services Information Security Program Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance Guide September 14, 2005 Page i Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Compliance Guide US Department of Health and Human Services Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................... i Preface.........................................................................................................iii Document Change History ............................................................................iv 1. Introduction ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2. 2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................... 1 Background...................................................................................... 1 Scope.............................................................................................. 2 Document Organization ..................................................................... 4 HIPAA Administrative Simplification Requirements ........................... 5 General Overview ............................................................................. 5 2.1.1 HIPAA Administrative Simplification Goals and Objectives ............. 5...
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...HIPAA Summary Janine Yoder HCS/320 March 3, 2015 Lynn Bell HIPAA Summary Going to the doctors or hospital is scary enough, so they try and make it easier, so you are worried about multiple things. They work and take your privacy and rights out of it and have it protected. The Federal Act of 1996, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This act is to help people be able to keep health insurance a little easier and protect our information from being given away. The confidentiality and security of our health care information, and it controls the cost of administrative in the health industry. You can go to the doctors and not have to worry about them sharing your information with anyone without your permission because of the HIPAA law. Protecting the patient’s rights is the number one priority when it comes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Even though, the cost of administrative, privacy and right because security of health care information and confidentiality. The implications for health communications, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has different types. Civil and criminal penalty and violations up to but not limited to two hundred and fifty thousand in fines and up to ten years in prison. This information is crucial because you do not want to be giving out someone’s information on accident. Plus you would not want your information out there if it did not have to be. That is how people...
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...There have been several advances in information technology that has resulted in new ethical issues arising that has necessitated the creation of various congressional acts. We will review two of these congressional acts, which are the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). In both of these congressional acts, we will look at its purpose, the ethical issue/reason requiring the congressional act along with potential implications if the act did not exist. First, we will discuss the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Over the years as information technology became more advanced and widely used in the health and medical field, control measures needed to be established in order to provide additional protection to the rights of patients. On the same note, the medical field needed to be able to quickly share information through information technology in order to provide timely patient care as well. As a result of the need for patient rights while providing and protecting our society through information technology, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was established in 1996. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act require medical offices specifically doctors to ensure the protection and privacy of their patients medical information by using a nation-wide standard format when conducting transactions through the use of information systems. In addition...
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...How HIPAA Violations Affect the Medical Billing Process HCR/220 October 7, 2012 How HIPAA Violations Affect the Medical Billing Process In this paper we will discuss how HIPAA violations affect the medical billing process and why HIV and AIDS information is more sensitive than other types of health conditions. We will also examine the social, legal, and ethical ramifications of improper information disclosure. In 1996 on August 21, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by the Federal Government and signed into law by President Bill Clinton (HIPAA – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, 2011). According to “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” (2012), “HIPAA does the following; provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs, reduces health care fraud and abuse, mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electric billing and other processes, and requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information” (What is HIPAA?). The main reason HIPAA was enacted was to protect patient’s personal health information regardless of its severity. Their personal health information is just that, theirs! For that reason, among many other, it is very important to know that a patient’s personal health information is not to be shared with any unauthorized...
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...Abstract This paper will explore the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and discuss the following questions: What is the purpose of HIPAA? How does the HIPAA law affect health information managers? What are some ethical issues to consider regarding HIPAA? Finally I will provide some examples of how HIPAA has changed the way the practice of health care and health information is managed. Health Information Portability and Accountability Act In 1996, the United States Congress enacted the Health Care Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and President Bill Clinton signed it into law. HIPAA was introduced as an act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes. (Wikipedia) Health Information Managers play critical roles in their day to day work load to ensure compliance with regulations that pertain to the privacy and security of patients’ medical records and information. After the HIPAA was passed in 1996, these HIM professionals were introduced to a new and changing forefront of legislative and regulatory requirements when it comes to dealing with the wealth of...
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...Jennifer Sanchez MOD 160 Night Class M.B&C Chapter 2: Compliance, Privacy, Fraud, and Abuse in Insurance Billing 1. Define compliance. 2. Name the two provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that relate most to health care. 3. Explain the difference between Titles I insurance Reform and Title II Administrative Simplification. 4. Describe the Privacy Rule under HIPAA. 5. Define protected health information (PHI). 6. Identify the difference between disclosure and use of PHI. 7. Illustrate the difference between privileged and nonprivileged information. 8. Explain patient rights under HIPAA. 9. Explain responsibilities of the health care organization to protect patient rights under HIPAA. 10. State the guidelines for HIPAA privacy compliance. 11. List the three major categories of security safeguards under HIPAA. 12. Define the provisions of the HITECH Act. 13. List the civil and criminal penalties of noncompliance with HIPAA regulations. 14. Identify the difference between fraud and abuse. 15. Identify the Federal and State laws that regulate health care fraud and abuse. 16. List the various fraud and abuse audit programs 17. Describer the basic components of an effective compliance program. Compliance Defined * All regulations, recommendations, and expectations of regulating agencies must be met to be in compliance. * The professional elements...
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...HCA 542A Mod 11:2011 8wk-online Final Paper October 10, 2011 HIPPA This paper will begin with a brief background and history on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Following the background will be details about issues that are address within the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The purpose of this paper is to provide a foundation with providing some information about HIPAA. Background The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by Congress in 1996 in response to several issues facing health care coverage, privacy, security and fraud in the United States (ALL THINGS MEDICAL BILLING, 2011, para. 2). Before HIPAA, rules and regulations varied by state, there was no real consistency. Also, there was confusion as to which regulations were applicable and to whom. Did the rules apply in the states where the organization was doing business or where the organization was based? There was also no uniformity between state and federal requirements (ALL THINGS MEDICAL BILLING, 2011, para. 3). With regard to privacy, there were numerous uncoordinated federal acts which addressed privacy in some form. Prior to HIPAA, there was no standard authority for enforcement of fraud and abuse that applied to state and federal health care programs (ALL THINGS MEDICAL BILLING, 2011, para. 4). Congress recognized the increased use of electronic technology, the potential for...
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...Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 1 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Other short title(s) Long title Kassebaum-Kennedy Act, Kennedy-Kassebaum Act An Act To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes. HIPAA Colloquial acronym(s) Enacted by the 104th United States Congress Citations Public Law Stat. Pub.L. 104–191 110 Stat. 1936 [1] [2] Legislative history [3] • • • • • • • • • Introduced in the House as H.R. 3103 [4] by Bill Archer (D-TX) on March 18, 1996 [5] Committee consideration by: House Ways and Means Passed the House on March 28, 1996 (267–151 Passed the Senate on April 23, 1996 (100-0 [6] ) [7] ) [8] ) and by the Senate on , in lieu of S. 1028 Reported by the joint conference committee on July 31, 1996; agreed to by the House on August 1, 1996 (421–2 [9] August 2, 1996 (98–0 ) Signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996 e v t [10] The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA; Pub.L. 104–191 [1], 110 Stat. 1936 [2] , enacted...
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...HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 T he Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly referred to as HIPAA, became a federal law in 1996. The act contains insurance reform provisions and introduces the establishment of a fraud and abuse control program when rendering medical care to Medicare patients. In 2000, regulations were established to protect the privacy of personal health information maintained by health care providers, health plans, hospitals, health care clearinghouses, and health insurers. These regulations became effective in 2003 (2004 for small health plans). Violators of HIPAA may be subjected to fines, prison, or both. HIPAA is organized into three parts: • Privacy regulations. HIPAA regulations guide health care providers with overall privacy measures, such as turning the charts toward the wall and making sure the computer screen is not visible. Five forms are required (privacy notice, acknowledgment, authorization, business associate agreement, and trading partner agreement). • Transaction standards. Requirements must be followed when putting the office software into HIPAA compliance. • Security regulations. HIPAA requires health care providers to keep computers safe. The first two parts had 2003 deadlines for compliance and the third part has a 2005 deadline. To adhere to the HIPAA regulations, a medical practice must have an appointed privacy official draft privacy policies and procedures, and implement a...
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...Technology Acts Paper Christy Little BIS-220 May 19, 2014 Eileen Buckholtz Information Technology Acts Paper The creation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Electronic Funds Transfer Act were designed to protect individual’s personal information. These two acts aim at protecting important personal information that can make an individual vulnerable to identity theft and other crimes. In the growing world of technology, individuals need protection and privacy from potential criminals. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed on August 21, 1996 with a goal to provide safe electronic transfers of personal health information ("American Academy Of Pediatrics ", 2005). With the development of the Electronic Health Record (EHR), an individual’s personal health information could be easily shared in-house or by outside networks. These types of electronic files can be shared between physicians, clinics, insurance companies to the individuals themselves. EHR’s are taking the place of paper files that take up valuable space in offices and endless fees for supplies. EHR’s contain information such as age, weight, diseases, immunization status, or complete medical histories. Whether the breach of privacy is intentional or unintentional, vital information can be at the finger- tips of criminals enabling crimes such as identity theft or publically humiliating famous people. One of the main goals of HIPAA is to limit...
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...most attention from patients is called “Confidence in Confidentiality. The article talks about the privacy act for patients which is known as HIPPA, confidentiality regulations, and also briefly talks about different types of patient confidentiality situation. Confidential information is a main concern among patients; it is their medical information which is at stake here in their minds, but is that all that is at stake? The confidentiality privacy act is known as HIPAA, which is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This act was passed by congress to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to reduce costs and the administrative burdens of health care by improving efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system by standardizing the interchange of electronic data for specified administrative and financial transactions, To ensure protecting the privacy of Americans’ personal health records by protecting the security and confidentiality of health care information and to ensure protecting the privacy of Americans’ personal health records by protecting the security and confidentiality of health care information (Ramick, 2011). The main point of creating the HIPAA act is to insure patient privacy and the...
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...Hopkins and HIPAA The Johns Hopkins Hospital Heidi Hardin Western Governors University February 18, 2013 The Johns Hopkins Hospital instituted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) on April 14, 2003. This legislation changed the way many medical facilities handled a patient’s protected health information (PHI) in a variety of ways. This paper will review the subject of the way the Johns Hopkins Hospital handles PHI within its organization. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act completely changed the way a medical facility handles a patient’s health record. Before HIPAA was put in place, a patient’s rights would be different depending on the state he or she resided in. HIPAA has standardized the way PHI is handled and is the same regardless of the state of residence. If a facility uses PHI in a manner not in line with the HIPAA regulations, the facility can receive many different sanctions depending on the extent of the misuse of information. HIPAA was created in 1996, but before then only about half of the United States had regulations that allowed a patient to get copies or even see his or her own medical records. Many states have initiated legislation that gives additional security to protect a patient’s medical record; all states must follow the rules of HIPAA even with the...
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