HIPAA is there to protect individuals and to ensure everyone has full access to a copy of their personal medical records. It is ultimately a civil rights issue. It mandates data protection for anyone who creates, stores, transmits or uses individually identifiable health information.

What does HIPAA do for patients?

HIPAA ensures that health data is safeguarded to prevent it from being accessed by unauthorized individuals. HIPAA protects the privacy of patients by prohibiting certain uses and disclosures of health information. HIPAA allows patients to obtain copies of their health information.

What protections are located within the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.

What HIPAA does not cover?

6. What information isn’t covered under the HIPAA Privacy Rule? HIPAA does not apply to employment records, even when those records include medical information. This includes employment records a covered entity holds in its role as employer.

What is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 – or HIPAA – is a federal law that applies to healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses that conduct transactions electronically.

What was the administrative simplification provision of HIPAA?

The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II) required the Secretary of HHS to publish national standards for the security of electronic protected health information (e-PHI), electronic exchange, and the privacy and security of health information.

Why is HIPAA important to the health insurance industry?

( See our HIPAA History page for more information) Initially HIPAA was intended to improve the health insurance system and simplify the administration of healthcare, but it has since been expanded considerably. Now HIPAA covers patient privacy, uses and disclosures of health data, and data security.

Can a health insurance company disclose patient information?

Covered entities cannot disclose certain patient information without written authorization from the patient or the patient’s legal guardian unless exceptions are provided through HIPAA or state laws that override HIPAA.