| The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act | | | | Penalties for non-compliance can include fines that |
| or HIPAA has two purposes. The first, "portability," | | | | range from $100 per person per violation up to $25,000 |
| allows an employee to keep their current health | | | | per year and/or up to ten years imprisonment. |
| insurance even if they should happen to leave their | | | | The process is complaint driven and only covers health |
| current place of employment. This is easily done | | | | care providers and health plans. It doesn't mean that a |
| thanks to plans such as COBRA. The second part, | | | | friend or family member can't discuss someone's |
| "accountability," means that the government can now | | | | medical issues with another party. Relatives may talk |
| regulate healthcare providers, health plans, payers, | | | | freely about what they may have discussed with |
| clearinghouses, and anyone else that might coordinate | | | | health care providers. Journalists may report on a |
| health data, for complete privacy and security. If an | | | | subject's medical condition, but the information that can |
| employer provides any type of on-site health care, that | | | | be disclosed by a doctor or hospital is limited. These |
| employer must also comply by HIPAA standards. | | | | restrictions also don't apply to police, firefighters, |
| It means that if personal information is stored on | | | | coaches, trainers or teachers. |
| computer databases, tapes, disks, or transmitted with | | | | If you feel your privacy has been violated, you can |
| the assistance of faxes or the Internet, in addition to | | | | issue a complaint with your healthcare provider or the |
| anything written down or talked about, steps must be | | | | DHHS. Your health information is privileged and anyone |
| taken to ensure a patient's privacy. This also means | | | | can use this information against you. The HIPAA was |
| that, in addition to protecting your privacy, the electronic | | | | designed to combat this. Your health care professional |
| exchange of financial or administrative information | | | | now has to make sure your information stays |
| must now be standardized. | | | | confidential unless you request otherwise. |