Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

 

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a security standard to provide physical, technical and administrative safeguards to protect the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of health information.

 

The purpose of this security standard is to prevent the inappropriate use and disclosure of an individual’s health information.

 

The Act also imposes restrictions on Organisations to protect health information and systems that store, transmit, and process it.

 

HIPAA Checklist

File Security

File cabinet or drawers storing patient records should be securely locked, or if possible the room itself.

 

You have to restrict access to a computer terminal to only authorized personnel and set up a passcode for electrical files.

 

Be alert to security lapses that might allow illegitimate users to access the records.

 

 

Education and sanctions

The professional workforce should be trained with HIPAA requirements, both and off the job.

 

You have to ensure that the employers know about the requirements they can expect for violating HIPAA restrictions.

 

Violations of HIPAA are.punished to send a message to other employees that HIPAA is considered seriously within the organization.

 

Authorization procedures

You have to ensure that only authorized personnel has access to HIPAA protected information.

 

Review the file logs or computer records regularly to know how the authorization is used to ensure that it is not abused.

 

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Objectives of HIPAA

  • Group and Individual Insurance reform
  • It reduces potential for waste, fraud, and abuse.
  • It requires the application of uniform standards to electronic data transactions in a confidential and secure environment
  • It allows for portability and continuity of health insurance and places limits in pre-existing exclusion provisions.
  • It introduces new penalties and sanctions against defaulters.
  • Its goal is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system.

 

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