HIPAA

HIPAA is a comprehensive federal law enacted to:
▪ Protect the privacy of a patient’s personal and health information
▪ Provide for electronic and physical security of personal and health information
▪ Standardize coding to simplify billing and other transactions
“Privacy” and “Security” are not even in the name of HIPAA, yet they present the biggest challenge under the law.
Its standards address the use and disclosure of PHI as well as standards for individuals’ privacy rights to understand and control how their PHI is used and shared
Examples that require patient’s authorization for disclosure of PHI include life insurance coverage, pre-employment physical, lab tests, pharmaceutical firms, etc.
Patient’s authorizations for disclosure of PHI is NOT required for treatment, payment, and health care operations