The health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) of 1996 protects health information that is transmitted or maintained in any form; electronic health records are included in this scope. HIPAA considers health information to be anything that relates to health, health care, or health insurance. This includes health information found in medical records, psychology reports, health care payments and more. HIPAA has seven sections: security, privacy, standard transactions, national identifiers, enforcement, training employees, and disposal of health records.
Security Rule
The health insurance portability and accountability act security rule requires that covered entities (i.e., health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and healthcare providers) implement administrative, physical and technical safeguards for protecting health information.
Privacy Rule
The privacy rule applies to health plans (including health insurance issuers and self-insured health plans) health care clearinghouses, and health care providers who transmit any health information in electronic form in connection with transactions for which the U.S. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has adopted standards under HIPAA.
Standard Transactions Rule
The health insurance portability and accountability act standard transactions are health care transactions that health plans and health care providers use, but aren’t required to use, to communicate claims or health information electronically.
National Identifiers Rule
The health information national identifiers are used to identify health plans, healthcare providers and health care clearinghouses. Under HIPAA, health plans and health care providers must use the HIPAA standard transaction formats (developed by HHS) when they communicate health information electronically. And health care clearinghouses must use the transactions and code sets (also developed by HHS) that health plans and health care providers use.
Enforcement Rule
The health insurance portability and accountability act enforcement rule regulates how the office of civil rights within HHS deals with complaints about potential violations of HIPAA’s administrative simplification provisions.
Training Employees Rule
One of the health insurance portability and accountability act requirements for dental practices is that employees who have access to health information need to be trained on what health information is, how they should handle it and how confidential health information should be kept. There are federal criminal penalties if a healthcare practitioner discloses health information without a patient’s written permission, except in certain situations.
Disposal of Health Records Rule
It is the health insurance portability and accountability act requirement that health records be disposed of correctly if they are no longer needed for medical treatment or payment. The health insurance portability and accountability act requires that health care providers must securely dispose of health records when they are no longer needed.
In short, HIPAA was designed to stop health information from being stolen and make health care easier by standardizing health care transactions. HIPAA also ensures confidentiality and availability of health records. If you need more information on the health insurance portability and accountability act, you can contact DMA Tech Solutions. They provide HIPAA consulting, health information compliance training and health information technology outsourcing.