Health Insurance Portability Provision
On August 21, 1996 the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was passed (HIPAA). There was a dual purpose which was to make distribution of health care more efficient and to help the increasing number of Americans enrolling in their health insurance coverage (Nass, Levit, & Gostin, 2009). There were three main provisions of the Act: (1) the portability provisions, (2) the tax provisions, and (3) the administrative simplification provisions. With the advances of technology in the early 1990’s, Congress recognized that the advances could hurt the privacy of patient’s health information. Because more doctors’ offices and hospitals are using technology, the use of electronic health care information, along with the beginning
of privacy standards toward health information, HIPAA helped mandate the creation of the nationwide security standards and safeguards
According to (Nass, Levit, & Gostin, 2009), “The HIPAA privacy rule was created to leave detailed regulations regarding the types of uses and disclosures of personally identifiable health information that are permitted by the covered entities.” This privacy rule was presented in 1999 for the public to comment on, however, there was a massive amount of comments and because of the change in executive branch leadership that happened in the 2000 Presidential election, the privacy rule had several versions until the final version was agreed upon in 2002 (Nass, Levit, & Gostin, 2009). Most of health care providers and health plans had to comply by April 14, 2003 and the smaller plans were to be in compliance by April 14, 2004.
The HIPAA act does address privacy. It helps protect the privacy of Americans and their health information. Prior to the act being created and put into law; for example, anyone could get information on my health information, such as any of my family members or employer, etc. Now when I sign the HIPAA form with the doctor’s office, no one can get information about my health and my employer cannot ask me questions concerning my health.
Even with the privacy rule, some advocates still argue that there needs to be stronger privacy protections, that what is in place is not enough. I feel with the advances in technology and the increased use of technology, more needs to be done with the HIPAA, unless congress has kept up with the advances, it could be out of date by now.
of privacy standards toward health information, HIPAA helped mandate the creation of the nationwide security standards and safeguards
According to (Nass, Levit, & Gostin, 2009), “The HIPAA privacy rule was created to leave detailed regulations regarding the types of uses and disclosures of personally identifiable health information that are permitted by the covered entities.” This privacy rule was presented in 1999 for the public to comment on, however, there was a massive amount of comments and because of the change in executive branch leadership that happened in the 2000 Presidential election, the privacy rule had several versions until the final version was agreed upon in 2002 (Nass, Levit, & Gostin, 2009). Most of health care providers and health plans had to comply by April 14, 2003 and the smaller plans were to be in compliance by April 14, 2004.
The HIPAA act does address privacy. It helps protect the privacy of Americans and their health information. Prior to the act being created and put into law; for example, anyone could get information on my health information, such as any of my family members or employer, etc. Now when I sign the HIPAA form with the doctor’s office, no one can get information about my health and my employer cannot ask me questions concerning my health.
Even with the privacy rule, some advocates still argue that there needs to be stronger privacy protections, that what is in place is not enough. I feel with the advances in technology and the increased use of technology, more needs to be done with the HIPAA, unless congress has kept up with the advances, it could be out of date by now.