Health Information Services/Medical Records

General Information about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

About the HIPAA Privacy Rule

• On August 14, 2002, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the final Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy regulations.  Most providers covered by HIPAA’s Privacy regulations (e.g., hospital, doctors, public health departments, clinics) were required to comply with these regulations as of April 14, 2003.
  
• The Privacy Rule (45 CFR Part 160 and Subparts A and E of Part 164) provides the first comprehensive Federal protection for the privacy of health information. The Privacy Rule was carefully balanced to provide strong privacy protections that do not interfere with patient access to, or the quality of health care delivery.
  
• The HIPAA Privacy Rule for the first time created national standards to protect individual’s medical records and other personal health information.
  
  • It gives patients more control over their health information.
    
  • It sets boundaries on the use and release of health records.
    
  • It establishes appropriate safeguards that health care providers and others must achieve to protect the privacy of health information.
    
  • It holds violators accountable, with civil and criminal penalties that can be imposed if they violate patients’ privacy rights.
    
  • And it strikes a balance when public responsibility supports disclosure of some forms of data – for example, to protect public health.

For additional information visit the official federal government hub for all HIPAA issues at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa