HIM422_Week 1 Discussion Post 16

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is the most

substantial law for protecting patient information through the Privacy, Security, Enforcement,

and Breach Notification Rules (Office for Civil Rights, 2021). These laws are essential to

enforce the protection of health information and give direction on how to establish

organizational policies and procedures. Someone may unintentionally disclose information to

an unauthorized person, such as a family member, because they were unaware of the Privacy

Rule. Or a facility may not know what physical and technical safeguards are appropriate. Laws

help ensure that standards are upheld and that everyone is on the same page no matter what

organization you’re at. Laws help patients feel confident that their personal health information

information. The Privacy Rule also sets limits on how your health information can be used and

shared with others. The Security Rule sets rules for how your health information must be kept

secure with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards. I do believe these laws are very

necessary Not only is your medical information need to be protected but your personal

information such as your SS#, address, etc. It is necessary that you are in control of your

medical information and who is authorized to view them. e

To protect patient information the United States government, implement the Health Insurance

Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 which is commonly referred to as HIPAA. e HIPAA

consists of five titles: "Title I: Protects health insurance coverage for workers and their

families who change or lose their jobs. It limits new health plans' ability to deny coverage due

to a pre-existing condition. Title II: Prevents Health Care Fraud and Abuse; Medical Liability

Reform; Administrative Simplification that requires the establishment of national standards

for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, employers, and

health insurance plans. Title III: Guidelines for pre-tax medical spending accounts. It provides

changes to health insurance law and deductions for medical insurance. Title IV: Guidelines

for group health plans. It provides modifications for health coverage. Title V: Governs

company-owned life insurance policies. Makes provisions for treating people without United

States Citizenship and repealed financial institution rule to interest allocation rules."

(Edemekong PF, 2022). A patient's health record is something sacred and should always

technology, specifically, the use of electronic health records (EHRs) by healthcare providers."

(2021). The implementation of the HITECH Act helped push the EHR to be utilized by

healthcare organizations. Prior to the HITECH Act only approximately 10% of healthcare

facilities were using electronic health records!! Also, the HITECH Act helped to tighten any

type of loopholes that were established during HIPAA. The HITECH Act has helped to

improve privacy and security of patient's health records.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy, Security,

and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act are

the primary Federal laws protecting health information. First, HIPAA was created as “a

federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health

information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.” (CDC, 2018) It

consists of the Privacy Rule, which are guidelines for using and disclosing protected health

information, and the Security Rule, which governs how protected health information is

transmitted, received, and created. Second is the Health Information Technology for

Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was enacted in 2009 to “promote the adoption

and meaningful use of health information technology” and “addresses the privacy and security

concerns associated with the electronic transmission of health information, in part, through

The United States has had a tremendous impact on healthcare with the utmost need to protect

patient health information. HIPAA law requires that safeguards are put in place to protect

certain healthcare information. HIPAA security rules require providers and healthcare

organizations to have the appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for

ePHI (HHS, 2020). HIPAA privacy rules give individuals control over their health

information, allowing them to choose who can have access.

The confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) is a California state law that allows

patients to push for legal action against a health care provider, health insurers, and other

contractors who disclose their medical records without their authorization (Sweigart, 2021).

Patients must know that their medical information is kept private between them and the

healthcare medical professional; this will help build a trustful connection between the patient

and provider, improving the quality of care provided. e

References:

Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html#:~:text=The%20Health%20Insuranc

e%20Portability%20and,the%20patient%27s%20consent%20or%20knowledge.

HHS. (2017). HITECH Act Enforcement Interim Final Rule. Retrieved from

https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/hitech-act-enforcement-interim-

final-rule/index.html

Edemekong PF, Annamaraju P, Haydel MJ. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability

Act. [Updated 2022 Feb 3]. In: Stat Pearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): Stat Pearls

Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500019/ e e e

What is the hitech act. HIPAA Journal. (2021, June 14). Retrieved May 3, 2022, from