What Is HIPAA & The HIPAA HIPPO?
 

HIPAA is recent US Federal Government legislation known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This legislation concerns your rights as a consumer to health care privacy practices. It affects not only how your personal medical information is handled but how you are treated when working with your doctor, health insurance provider or other medical practitioner. This is all done to protect you.

Due to HIPAA's mammoth laws and the complexity of their implementation, the hippo is quickly becoming an applicable symbol for HIPAA.

HIPAA's Purpose

 

The purpose of HIPAA is to:

• Ensure the portability of your medical records if you switch doctors, health insurance company, or job

• Protect your personal health information that your doctor or health insurance company has in their files

• Streamline the process of how your doctors process medical requests or payments from your health insurance company

• Simplify how medical providers do business with health insurance companies and other medical providers

 

HIPAA Components

 

There are four components to HIPAA:

• Privacy — protects your personal health information/medical records

• Transactions and Code Sets — electronic and faster way for the health care industry to process bills, confirm member eligibility, and obtain medical authorizations

• Security — measures to safeguard the protected health information

• National Identifiers — provides health plans, providers, and employers with a unique, national number used for all lines of business and with all other health care groups

 

To Learn More About The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act (HIPAA)

 

To receive a greater introduction about the elements of HIPAA please view our The Regulations page.

Should you want to read the actual HIPAA legislation, you can access it at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/default.asp.


 

HIPAA