HIPAA Laws
The HIPAA laws were established in 1996 by an act of the US Congress. In simple terms, the law defines the rules concerning health insurance from employers. This law also sets rules regarding the privacy of health information and how the data is stored and transferred.
Title I and II
Title I declares that employees have to be given an option to proceed with their health insurance coverage after leaving from the job or after being terminated.
Title II is designed to prevent abuse and deception in health care. Title II also calls for simplifying the administrative coding and data storage. This is done by limiting electronic storage.
HIPAA regulations also require more protection for those who need treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. It should be stated that this aspect only covers those services supported by the federal government.
The HITECH Act
The HITECH Act is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which changed some aspects of the HIPAA law. In effect, the new provision states individuals have to be notified in the event of a security breach on secured data.
Advantages
The privacy laws set under HIPAA allow employees to maintain their health coverage when moving from one job to another. The exclusion period is either removed or reduced under HIPAA. This applies for as long as the employee has continuous health coverage before applying for work elsewhere.
Disclosure of Medical Records
This becomes possible only in two scenarios. The first is when the patient or their designated representative specifically asks that disclosure be made to a third party. The second instance is when the Department of Health and Human Services asks for it in the course of an investigation involving possible violations.
Extent of Coverage
The HIPAA regulations do not apply to all health plans. It does not apply to vision, dental and certain types of long term insurance plans. However, it is possible to combine these with HIPAA using the employer’s health policy or plan.
HIPAA Violations
If the HIPAA privacy regulations are violated, one can file a complaint with the health provider or insurer. If the complaint is ignored, an individual may file the case with the government.
These are the important facts about the HIPAA laws. These laws were established to keep people from being discriminated due to their health conditions. Organizations that fail to comply with these regulations face penalties, both civil and criminal.