Unit 7 Lesson 4: What's HIPAA?

Question 1

When was the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) passed

Answer 1

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed by the US Congress in 1996

Question 2

Why does the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) exsit

Answer 2

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed by the US Congress in 1996 to reduce the administrative costs of healthcare and make sure patients could have insurance plans when they changed jobs.

Question 3

No matter the intentions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)​ , the effect has been large on the healthcare industry. How

Answer 3

because of new provisions on keeping patients’ information private.

Question 4

To reduce administrative costs, HIPAA requires all medical records to be converted to digital records, how does this make things complicated?

Answer 4

but because that could negatively impact the privacy of patient information, there are further rules about privacy and security.

Question 5

Why is implemnting the HIPAA so complex

Answer 5

Implementing this law is complex and requires very specific actions to limit access to private health information and lots of security in the sharing, storage, and transmission of this information.

Question 6

What does the HIPAA ensure

Answer 6

HIPAA ensures that certain patient rights are safeguarded while requiring healthcare providers to follow rules to protect patients

Question 7

What does the portability part of HIPPA do

Answer 7

The portability part of the law is intended to make it easier for workers to maintain insurance coverage when they lose or change jobs.

Question 8

What does the accountablity part of HIPPA do

Answer 8

The accountability portion gives guidance about the use and protection of health data.

Question 9

Whats the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009

Answer 9

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 is a law that encouraged the adoption of electronic health records and includes enforcement provisions.

Question 10

What impact does the HITECH have on the HIPAA?

Answer 10

HITECH strengthened the security and privacy provisions of HIPAA.

Question 11

Basics of HIPAA, Protected Health Information, elaborate

Answer 11

Verbal, paper, or digital health information about a person that can be linked to them by their name, address, birth date, or any other identifier needs to be protected.

Question 12

Basics of HIPAA, Privacy Rule, elaborate

Answer 12

Sets national standards for when protected health information can be used or disclosed.

Question 13

Basics of HIPAA, security rule, elaborate

Answer 13

Sets specific safeguards that health providers and other businesses must implement to protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability of health records.

Question 14

Basics of HIPAA, Breach Notification Rule, elaborate

Answer 14

Requires health professionals to notify affected individuals and the government when record security has been breached.

Question 15

Basics of HIPAA, Who Must Comply, elaborate

Answer 15

Includes healthcare professionals and organizations, health insurance plans, and business associates of any of these groups including legal, billing, management, and other professionals.

Question 16

What does HIPAA mean for healthcare workers?

Answer 16

It means that workers must adhere to the policies and procedures established by their employers to make sure health records are kept confidential, secure, and used only as intended. Because these laws are complex, it is up to each healthcare institution to develop procedures that will follow the law, and then it is up to each worker to carefully follow all procedures.

Question 17

(HIPPA) The exact procedures may vary at each institution, but they will all have rules that include:

Answer 17

• Requiring secure passwords for access to digital records
• Physical security: locking laptops and servers
• Technical security: encryption—converting data into code to prevent unauthorized access
• Administrative procedures to allow access only to those authorized
• Procedures to ensure patient access to their own records
• Training on how to use, transmit, and secure digital records
• Privacy measures for phone and in-person communication

Question 18

What happens if you violate the HIPAA privacy or security rules?

Answer 18

? First off, your employer would reprimand you and possibly fire you. Next, you could be subject to fines of $100-$50,000 per violation. You can also be criminally prosecuted, getting up to 10 years of jail time if convicted. If you violate a rule you were unaware of, your penalties would be lower than if you knowingly handled information improperly.