The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly referred to as HIPAA, is a United States federal law
that was passed in 1996. The purpose of HIPAA is to set national standards for the security of specific health information,
sometimes known as Protected Health Information (PHI), while also enabling the efficient and safe exchange of this
information between healthcare providers, insurance companies, and other organizations engaged in healthcare
operations.
All healthcare professionals, including doctors, dentists, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, Laboratory service providers,
and all service providers related to health, and health insurance companies, are accountable to HIPAA regulations. The
law also applies to business partners who collaborate with healthcare providers and have access to PHI, such as billing
businesses and attorneys.
Examples of PHI that covered entities and business associates may handle include:
• Patient names, addresses, and phone numbers
• Social Security numbers
• Insurance information
• Medical diagnoses and treatment information
• Billing information
The protection of patient health information privacy is one of HIPAA's main objectives. All covered businesses and their
business partners are required by HIPAA to take the necessary precautions to guarantee the privacy, accuracy, and
availability of PHI. This includes putting in place administrative, technical, and physical measures to prevent the
information from being accessed, used, or disclosed without authorization.
HIPAA guarantees patients certain rights regarding their health information to safeguard their privacy. Patients, for
instance, have the right to see their own medical records and ask that any errors be fixed. Patients also have the right to
request that only specific people or organizations have access to their health information.
HIPAA also requires that in the event of a breach of PHI, covered businesses must notify the affected individuals. A breach
is described as an incident that undermines the security or privacy of PHI by illegal access, use, or disclosure. A breach
must be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, and covered entities are required to notify those
affected without undue delay.
Some of the requirements of the HIPAA Privacy Rule that covered entities and business associates should be aware of
include:
• Implementing administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect PHI
• Designating a privacy officer to oversee compliance with the Privacy Rule
• Providing patients with a Notice of Privacy Practices that describes their rights regarding PHI
• Obtaining patient consent or authorization before using or disclosing their PHI, except in certain situations (e.g.,
for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations)
• Reporting any breaches of PHI to affected individuals, the Department of Health and Human Services, and in
some cases, the media
HIPAA violations may incur heavy fines and penalties. Those who knowingly breach HIPAA rules may be subject to criminal
trial and perhaps imprisonment in addition to civil monetary fines.
HIPAA is an important law that helps to protect the privacy and security of patient health information. By establishing
national standards for the protection of PHI and giving patientrights with respect to their health information, HIPAA makes
sure that healthcare providers and their business associates are using and sharing health information in a way that is safer,
more secure, and fully compliant with the law.
  
 

This content is for education and informational purposes