Hipaa law was created while keeping the interest of common consumers in mind. During any kind of treatment, the medical records of a patient pass through many hands. All the nurses, hospital staff, doctors, insurance company officials etc. have access to these records. If not protected, any of these people can leak, steal or misuse our personal details for his private gain or that of the institution he works for. But thankfully, patients can now hold all of these entities responsible, if any of their information is misused.

HIPAA protects our basic health information, address, social security number, records of pre-existing medical conditions, treatments done in the past, pre-existing mental stress, birth date etc. All the information used by doctors is also protected, but they can access your updated medical information without prior permission, in order to provide the best treatment or collect payment from your health insurance.

Under HIPAA, the authorization process is supposed to be written in the most simple and understandable terms, instead of technical jargon. According to the policy makers, the technical terms make it difficult for people to really understand their own records and it is important to make sure that everyone understands their own records.

According to this act, you can also get backup healthcare package, if you want to extend or avail a good healthcare package. Title 1 of HIPAA law abolishes any order or rules which diminish legal right of a consumer to get proper benefits of health insurance. In other words, if you possess a health insurance and you do not have any pending dues or premiums, but still, your health insurance company refuses to provide you medical benefits, then HIPAA will cancel any such orders and protect your right to get insurance coverage.

This law is one of the best assistance that an American healthcare consumer has ever got. The laws of HIPAA are truly for the people.

Related Hipaa Posts

• June 1, 2010 — Reasons medical businesses should comply with HIPAA regulations
• May 31, 2010 — Increasing Computer Network Security for effective HIPAA Compliance
• May 29, 2010 — HIPAA and the Internet: Intranet Collaboration Software requirements
• May 25, 2010 — HIPAA Emails compliance – Safeguard your private information
• April 24, 2010 — HIPAA: What is it?
• April 21, 2010 — Complete HIPAA Guide
• April 19, 2010 — Need for adherence to HIPAA regulations
• April 17, 2010 — Problems in HIPAA compliance
• April 16, 2010 — Queries on HIPAA training
• April 13, 2010 — Status of claims and remittance advice

The medical records of the patient had been accessed three times in a time period of ten months. Once the employee learned regarding the medical condition of the patient, she posted the details on her personal page on My space. During the second posting, she stated that the patient was dying of AIDS. The patient made a complaint to the hospital authorities and the employment of the defendant was terminated after an investigation had been made into the matter. Once the case had been taken to court, a one-year jail sentence was handed over to the defendant. Despite the fact that justice had been served, many people still wonder as to what extent the hospital is responsible for the breach in security of medical records, which had taken place.

According to federal laws, health care providers should be imposed with fines when the medical records of patients have been disclosed to people who should have gained access to them in the first place. The privacy regulations, which come under the health insurance portability and, accountability act of 1996 or HIPAA, were actually enforced only on April 14 2003. The health information of all people will be well protected under this act and people will also get access to better quality health care. All kinds of health care providers, health care plans, health care clearing houses, which are responsible for the administrative and financial transactions of the health care system, will be covered under HIPAA.

Apart from the privacy regulations, the security rules which come under the health insurance portability and accountability act or HIPAA became effective on April 21 2005. These are the only rules regarding the usage and disclosure of information, which is extremely sensitive and confidential. The security rules of HIPAA with regard to the protection of information in an electronic format come under three main groups namely administrative safeguards, physical safeguards and technical safeguards. Some of the more important safeguards are the administrative sanction policy and the security awareness training safeguards.

According to the sanction policy, all employees should receive an official notification regarding the civil and criminal penalties, which they are likely to face for the wrong and incorrect usage of medical information. According to the security awareness training standards, all employees should take part in all the training programs with regard to security.

Related Hipaa Posts

• April 24, 2010 — What Are HIPAA Laws?
• August 6, 2009 — HIPAA laws and patients

One of the main advantages of HIPAA is that patients have become more aware of their rights. Whenever a patient goes to a office of a doctor, clinic, hospital or counseling center, he should be given a copy off the policies which come under HIPAA and they should sign a statement stating that they have either read all the rules and policies or that they have not consciously not taken note of the new rules. Patients should be well aware of their rights when it comes to their medical records. Anyone who has access to their medical information should also be aware of their medical information can be used.

The laws that come under HIPAA will also protect the medical insurance coverage, which has been provided for patients. The medical insurance, which is being provided to an employee, should be continued when he is either shifting jobs or when he is looking for a new job. Before this law had been enforced, any medical insurance coverage, which was being provided to the company, was cancelled immediately when the employee was fired, laid off or when he quit his job. This left a lot of families in a helpless position when they did not have medical insurance coverage until they found a new job and got the required medical insurance coverage from the new company.

The HIPAA laws have been created in such a manner that they will protect the rights of people who already have a pre-existing medical condition. They will ensure that these people get the right kind of medical insurance, which they need in order to get the right treatment for their medical condition. Previously any employee who had a known medical condition would be provided with medical insurance coverage when they changed their jobs and shifted companies. A proper waiting period has been provided under HIPAA and a person who has any kind of health problems can be assured that he will get the adequate amount of medical insurance coverage, which is needed in order to administer his treatment. HIPAA ensures that all patients get the right amount of protection and the right kind of medical insurance coverage, which they will require and they will also ensure that the privacy of the medical records of the patient is maintained to the maximum possible extent. In this manner, patients feel comforted and rest assured that their rights are being protected and that they will be well taken care of.

Related Hipaa Posts

• May 19, 2010 — Details on HIPAA laws
• May 1, 2010 — HIPAA Certification: Who needs it?
• April 24, 2010 — What Are HIPAA Laws?
• April 23, 2010 — Explaining The HIPAA Law
• August 7, 2009 — HIPAA laws regarding information disclosure by health care providers