Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
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Health Insurance Portability 2
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was established in 1996 to protect the rights of individuals when receiving services from health organizations. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ensures privacy and confidentiality of individual’s health information. Health information could be protected on paper, oral communication, or electronically. If an individual’s privacy is violated in any way that individual has the option to file a complaint against the offending office.
The Office for Civil Rights assists individuals with complaints by investigating them. If necessary the Office for Civil Rights will impose a fine for violating the Privacy Rule Provision. Criminal violations of this law are referred to the United States Department of Justice for investigation and action (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2008).
The Privacy Rule imposes rules that healthcare workers must abide by to protect patient’s information. By doing this the Privacy Rule dictates how patient’s information could be handled in pharmacies, hospitals, and other healthcare industries. Patients have access to their medical records if copies are needed or if mistakes are found. There could be a monetary charge for copies but patients should receive copies within 30 days of the request.
If a medical provider requires sharing of the patient’s information; this request must be approved by the patient in writing. This notice is usually provided by the healthcare organization to the patient upon their first visit. This notice allows the patient to appoint any person whom he or she wishes to have access to their medical files. A patient could amend or omit information at any