HIPAA

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a United States legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information. It was enacted by the 104th United States Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996.

Overview

The primary goal of the law is to make it easier for people to keep health insurance, protect the confidentiality and security of healthcare information and help the healthcare industry control administrative costs. HIPAA is divided into two main sections or rules: Privacy Rule and Security Rule.

Privacy Rule

The Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information. It applies to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and those healthcare providers that conduct certain healthcare transactions electronically.

Security Rule

The Security Rule establishes a national set of security standards for protecting certain health information that is held or transferred in electronic form. The Security Rule operationalizes the protections contained in the Privacy Rule by addressing the technical and non-technical safeguards that organizations called “covered entities” must put in place to secure individuals’ “electronic protected health information” (e-PHI).

Compliance

Compliance with HIPAA is important for healthcare providers and other entities that deal with private health information. Violations of HIPAA can result in substantial fines and other penalties.

See Also

• Healthcare in the United States
• Healthcare compliance
• Electronic health record
• Medical privacy

References

HIPAA Resources
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