What is the HIPAA Privacy Rule? What does it protect?
HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is a Federal Law that was passed by Congress in 1996. There is a section of HIPAA called the Privacy Rule. The HIPAA Privacy Rule was enacted in order to protect your privacy when it comes to your “protected health information” (also called “PHI”). The HIPAA Privacy Rule went into effect on April 14, 2003. This Privacy Rule gives specific requirements and rules to health insurance organizations (such as the State Health Plan), health care providers and health care clearing houses which they must follow in order to protect your PHI. Please Note: In these FAQs, the State Health Plan will mainly discuss how HIPAA’s Privacy Rule affects you in regards to the State Health Plan. The HIPAA Privacy Rule may also affect you in regards to your health care providers. You should talk to your health care providers about how this Rule will affect your relationship with them.
