What Are The HIPAA Checklist Items For Physicians?

HIPAA has specified various organizations known as covered entities that will be subject to these rules and regulations. The privacy and security rules of HIPAA will need to be adhered to by all employees of covered entities. The employees will need to be trained to handle the protected information of patients in a correct way to avoid any intentional or unintentional violation.

5 HIPAA Checklist Points For Physicians

The physicians will need to ensure that all medical records of patients that are stored electronically or physically are safeguarded as per the specifications of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The confidential information could relate the patient's past and current medical records.

The vital information that is usually provided by the patient to the physician includes name, address, social security number, date of birth and any other information that can be classified as identifiers. This would mean that any individual who accesses the information will be able to identify the patient easily. Due to this it is necessary that all safeguards are put in place to secure this information and keep it safe.

If the protected health information is requested by the patient it must be released to them. Physicians are also permitted to use the protected information of patients for treatment purposes. If the confidential information of the patient is to be used for other purposes then physicians will need to take an authorization from the patient to access the information.

Authorization from the patient will not be required for disclosing the information for national priority purposes. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act have identified nearly twelve instances when the protected information of patients can be accessed without any authorization. Federal agencies would be able to access the protected information based on court orders.

Physicians should have administrative, physical and technical safeguards in place to ensure that the confidential information of patients is not abused or misused. These safeguards will ensure that there is no unauthorized access to medical records.
If any physician is found guilty of any violation they would have to face penalties that can be both civil and criminal. The penalties are usually in the form of fine and imprisonment. The extent of penalties would depend on the nature of the violation that has been committed.

When the information is transmitted electronically, it must be encrypted and password protected. These mechanisms will ensure that only authorized individuals will be able to access the medical records of patients.

If the old records of patients need to be destroyed there should be enough safeguards in place to ensure that it is done properly. It is advisable to use a shredder for destroying all old records. All these simple measures by the physicians will ensure that the protected information of patients is safe.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What Do You Need To Know About HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that was passed as a federal law in 1996 helps in providing health insurance cover to individuals and their families even when there is discontinuation of employment or when they lose their jobs. Apart from this HIPAA also aims at safeguarding and protecting all confidential information of patients.

6 Basic Things That You Need To Know About HIPAA

All health care providers and health insurance companies that are classified as covered entities as per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act will need to comply with the various provisions of the Act. The health care providers include hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses, laboratories, pharmacies and nursing homes.

There are some organizations that do have the medical records of patients but are not classified as covered entities according to HIPAA. These include life insurance companies, schools and other state and law enforcement agencies that are exempt.

The patients have the right to be informed about how their protected information will be accessed and used. Apart from this the patients can also demand copies of their medical records. If there are any changes to be made to the medical records a request can be made to hospitals or clinics where the records are stored. The changes will need to be made within thirty days of making the request.

The confidential information of patients can be shared by the various health care providers for treatment purposes. If the information is to be shared for any other purpose, it is important that there is a written or oral authorization from the patient to access the medical records. The patient can deny sharing of the records with family and friends by making a written request.

The authorization to access the medical records will not be required under certain circumstances that are specified by HIPAA. The exemption from authorizations is when this protected information is required by federal agencies for the purpose of law.

There can be civil and criminal penalties for violation of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The penalties can be fine or imprisonment or both depending on the nature of the violation. The fines are usually limited for a single offence and repeated offenders will have to pay a hefty fine subject to the maximum that has been fixed by HIPAA. The imprisonment period will also vary depending on the extent of the violation.
All organizations that are classified as covered entities as per Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act will need to train their employees for proper compliance of the Act. It is the responsibility of the employer to provide training.

There are many amendments that are made to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and individuals who will be accessing the protected information of patients will need to be aware of these changes. The amendments that are made will need to be distributed to employees as newsletters or through any other medium that will make it easier for them to become aware about them.