HIPAA, a common phrase and well known term among healthcare and legal professionals. HIPAA stands for, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This was an act passed by Congress in 1996 and signed by past President Bill Clinton.
"HIPAA does the following:
- Provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs;
Reduces health care fraud and abuse;
Mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electronic billing and other processes; and
Requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information" ("Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act")
 |
| Image Accredited: www.m-scribe.com |
disclosure must be signed by a patient before any information is given to anyone on the patients behalf. Each year the office that I work at prints out a HIPAA privacy form, in which we require patients to update their chart with the updated form. Patients are asked to list in the comments section the name of any individuals, if any, who we can release their information to. This includes discussing lab results and having a designated proxy to pick up and sign for their prescriptions.
When handling patients information it is important to be careful, it is vital and confidential information. Protecting their information is not limited to verbal protection. It also includes the handling of the patients medical chart. A medical chart is legal documentation and should be secured and treated as such. This means, that there should be frequent checks where the patients name and date of birth are checked to make sure paper work is filed into the proper chart.
Sometimes we fail to realize the importance of "acts" that are passed in order to benefit the public.
Work Cited:
"Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act." California Department of Healthcare Services. DHCS. Web. 21 Nov 2013. <http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/laws/hipaa/pages/1.00WhatisHIPAA.asp&xgt;.
This is a good topic that is rarely discussed about outside the healthcare field. The only time you hear this law mentioned is when a legal issue or insurance issue is of concern. I think a lot of people have a incorrect understanding of the purpose of this law. My understanding of this law is that it protects the patient from personal information being released, while at the same time provides regulation for healthcare facilities.
ReplyDelete