HIM422_Week 1 Discussion Post 19

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several

provisionsthatstrengthenthecivilandcriminalenforcementofthe

HIPAArules.”(HHS,2017)Ultimately,HIPAAandHITECHare

necessarytokeeppatientinformationsafeandsecureandgive

patientstheguidancetomakeinformeddecisions.Inaddition,I

believetheselawsareessentialtoprotecttheresidentsatmy

facility.Particularlypatientsdeemedincompetent,astheselaws

permitadesignatedindividualappointedbythepatienttoauthorize

thereleaseofinformationforthemiftheyareeverdeemedunfit.

Consequently,HIPAAonlyallowsthelegallyappointedpersonto

signtheauthorization.



WorksCited

CDC.(2018).PublicHealthProfessionalsGatewayPublicHealthLaw:

TheHealthInsurancePortabilityandAccountabilityActof1996

(HIPAA).Retrievedfrom

https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html#:~:text=Th

e%20Health%20Insurance%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