The Health Insurance Probability and Accountability Act is a United States federal statute that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996. HIPPA is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect all patient healthcare information from being disclosed without the consent of the individual. HIPPA consist of three components to include administrative, physical security, and technical security. The purpose of this paper is to review multiple questions and provide answers in detail regarding the Health Insurance Probability and Accountability Act.
HIPPA affect a patients’ right to access his or her medical records and to determine who can see their health information. HIPPA helps to provide individuals with easy access to all personal health information and has allowed them to be more in control of decisions regarding their health and well-being. Patients have full rights to their medical records, billing and payment records, insurance information, clinical laboratory test results, medical imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT, Ultrasound), wellness and disease management program files, clinical notes, and all legal documentation filled out and signed by the patient. Allowing individuals access to their health records has given them the opportunity to better monitor chronic conditions, communicate with providers, adhere to treatment plans, find,and correct errors in their health documents, track progress, and contribute to research. Generally, no one is allowed to access your health information without your permission. The privacy rule act requires providers to take reasonable steps to verify the identity of an individual making a request for access or granting access to all medical records. A patients health information may not be released to marketing agencies, advertising agencies, family members, or any other medical professionals without written and documented consent. How do you file a complaint regarding a HIPPA violation with the Office for Civil rights? Are any other agencies involved during the process? How can the issue be resolved and what penalties come into effect? HIPPA complaints can be submitted online, by fax, mail, or email. The main reason for the HIPPA complaint should be written along with the violation and submitted to the Office of Civil Rights.Detailed information will be required, and all dates of the incident must be correct. The address must be listed where the violation occurred as well as contact information. When filing a complaint, you must have it submitted within 180 days of the violation, and it must not be anonymous. The OCR will review all information and investigate the claim to determine if the violation is accurate. The OCR is the party in charge ofenforcing the HIPPA privacy and security rules. Keep in mind that not all violations result in settlements or civil monetarypenalties. Oftentimes, the issue is resolved through voluntary compliance, technical guidance, or by corrective action. If a breach was to occur, it is the entity’s responsibility to notify patients in a prompt manner. Covered entities must provide this individual notice in written form by first-class mail, or alternatively, by e-mail if the affected individual has agreed to receive such notices.
The main goal of HIPPA is to protect health data, integrity, confidentiality, and accountability. The privacy rule ensures thatindividuals health information is properly protected, but at the same time allows the flow of health information needed to provide quality healthcare. HIPPA identifies and protects against possible threats to the security and integrity of the information the patient has provided to their healthcare teams. The Heath Insurance Probability and Accountability act was an excellent law to put into place and has made such a great impact on the healthcare system and its protocols.
This is my essay I originally put together.
Go to http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy and begin researching answers to the following questions. (Note that covered entity refers to who and what are subject to HIPAA rules— such as health plans, doctors, hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes.)
The following questions should be answered in your research paper. Remember, research is required to locate the answers, but your findings should be written in your own words.
Does HIPAA affect a patient’s right to access his or her medical records or determine who can see the information? If so, describe the patient’s rights. What can patients do if they believe their rights are being denied?
How do you file a complaint regarding a HIPAA violation with the Office for Civil Rights?
Exactly what must a covered entity do to notify patients when there’s a breach of unsecured, protected health information?
How does the Office for Civil Rights investigate a complaint of HIPAA violation? Are any other agencies involved? How can complaints be resolved? What penalties, if any, can the Office for Civil Rights impose on doctors and hospitals for violations?
You may need to use additional research sources and other websites to complete your project. You must use appropriate citation throughout your paper, and you must include a reference page with the project.
Writing Guidelines
Type your submission, double-spaced, in a standard print font, size 12. Use a standard document format with one-inch margins. (Don’t use any fancy or cursive fonts.)
Include the following information at the top:
Your name and complete mailing address
Your student number
The course title: Law, Ethics, and Confidentiality in Allied Health
The course number: ALH105
Your research project number: 427507
Read the assignment carefully and answer each question. Use proper citation in either APA or MLA style.
Be specific. Limit your answers to the questions asked and issues mentioned.
Include a reference page in either APA or MLA style. On this page, list the websites, journals, and all other references you used in preparing the submission.
Proofread your work carefully. Check for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.