Healthcare, Financial, Education, Telecom Flashcards
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
A U.S. law passed to create national standards for electronic healthcare transactions, among other purposes. HIPAA required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations to protect the privacy and security of personal health information.
The basic rule is that patients have to opt in before their information can be shared with other organizations—although there are important exceptions such as for treatment, payment and healthcare operations.
The Privacy Rule
Under HIPAA, this rule establishes U.S. national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses and those healthcare providers that conduct certain healthcare transactions electronically.
The rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization.
The rule also gives patients’ rights over their health information, including rights to examine and obtain a copy of their health records and to request corrections.
