What is HIPAA?
HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, was enacted by the federal government in 1996. The original intent of HIPAA was to help ensure the continuation of health insurance coverage when an individual left his or her job. HIPAA was then expanded to include a number of provisions to simplify and lower the costs of processing health information. A number of these provisions deal with the standardization of electronic transactions. Implementation of security standards is a subset of these provisions.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is legislation that was enacted by Congress on August 21, 1996.The health care industry is about to face sweeping changes in how it handles and protects health information. These changes are mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was enacted by Congress on August 21, 1996. HIPAA requires the promulgation of standards on how health care providers, plans and clearinghouses transmit and store health information in electronic form. The privacy and security standards apply to any organization handling health information pertaining to an individual that is electronically maintained or transmitted. They require health care entities to implement technical, administrative and physical security measures. Failure to comply with the security standards may result in civil fines of up to $25,000 for each violator. However, if a failure to provide adequate security results in a misuse of unique hea
A30. HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is a federal health benefits law passed in 1996. Part of the law, effective July 1, 1997, restricts pre-existing condition exclusion periods to ensure portability of healthcare coverage between plans, group and individual; require guaranteed issue and renewal of certain types of insurance coverage; prohibit plans from charging individuals higher premiums, co-payments, and/or deductibles based on health status. The legislation also establishes a four-year medical savings account (MSA) demonstration project. Another part of the Act, the Administrative Simplification provisions of the Act, mandated standards for electronic data interchange (EDI) transactions and code sets, establish uniform health care identifiers for providers, health plans, and employers and seek protections for confidentiality and security of patient data. Compliance to these provisions requires the use of ANSI ASC X12N (Version 4010) transaction s
HIPAA stands for American Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. A set of rules to be followed by doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. HIPAA took effect on April 14, 2006. HIPAA helps ensure that all medical records, medical billing, and patient accounts meet certain consistent standards with regard to documentation, handling and privacy.In addition, HIPAA requires that all patients be able access their own medical records, correct errors or omissions, and be informed how personal information is shared used. Other provisions involve notification of privacy procedures to the patient. HIPAA provisions that have led in many cases to extensive overhauling with regard to medical records and billing systems. However, it can be frustrating wading through online information on HIPAA. This website can help you become more educated about this important subject. In this way, you can be better informed when contacting HIPAA consultants.
