What Are the Various HIPAA Rules That Need To Be Followed?

Most people who change or lose their jobs also end up losing the health coverage and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that was passed in 1996 intends to protect individuals and their families from loss of health insurance. Apart from this there are various safeguards that need to be adhered to for protecting the confidential information of patients.

There are various organizations that are classified as covered entities and they will need to safeguard all medical records of patients by following the provisions of HIPAA. The privacy and security rules of HIPAA contain all the rules and regulations that aim to safeguard the protected information of patients.
5 HIPAA Rules That Need To Be Followed

1. Hospitals, clinics, health insurance companies, doctors and nurses are often classified as covered entities as per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. These organizations and individuals will be storing and transmitting protected information of patients. All safeguards that have been stipulated by HIPAA will need to be adhered to by them.
2. All individuals who are employed in these covered entities will need to be adequately trained in the rules and regulations of HIPAA for better compliance. These training sessions can be conducted by the employer and employees will need to pass an examination to get certification.
3. The covered entities will need to employ a compliance officer who will ensure that all rules and regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act are adhered to. The protected information cannot be disclosed to anyone and if anyone is found violating this, it will invite very strict penalties.
4. There are specific restrictions on how this confidential information should be accessed and used. Doctors and nurses would be able to access medical records for treatment purposes. If the medical records are needed for any other purpose authorization from the patient will be required. There are certain exemptions where the confidential information of patients can be accessed by federal agencies without authorization from the patients.
5. There are very stringent requirements that need to be fulfilled according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Noncompliance of HIPAA attracts very strict penalties. The law does not make any discrimination between intentional and unintentional violations. The penalties can be fines or imprisonment for the violation. The penalties are usually fines in case of civil violations and it can include imprisonment in case of criminal violations.

There are various standards that are set by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and it is important that these are followed by the covered entities. If any organization makes repeated violations the penalties could result in it losing its ability to do business.

HIPAA is an important legislation that aims to have enough safeguards in place so that there is no misuse or abuse. There are various instances when individuals who have accessed the protected information have used it for commercial purposes. This will be prevented if all the safeguards that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act stipulate are put into place.

By Greg Garner