To be sure you’re in the right place, I said “HIPPA” not “HIPPO.”

You’ve probably heard of HIPPA, especially if you work in the health industry. Here is a quick guide of things you should know about HIPPA whether you are a healthcare provider or client.

1. What does HIPPA stand for? 

The word “HIPPA” is said so much but some people don’t even know what it stands for. Let me spell it out for you:

H – Health

I – Insurance

P – Portability and

A – Accountability

A – Act

HIPPA requires that safeguards be put in place to protect YOUR privacy and YOUR confidentiality. It’s not designed to be a big scary thing, but rather to save money for health care by encouraging the electronic transmission of health information in a standard format.

2. What does HIPPA do?

HIPPA creates a balance between government interest in health information and individual rights to maintain control. Many individuals think that it makes their health recoreds harder to get when, in reality, it allows them more control over their personal health information. HIPPA also sets penalties for those who violate HIPPA rules.

3. How do I know what is considered PHI (protected health information)? 

HIPPA is put in place to protect your PHI, which is health information in any form (written, oral, or electronic) that relates to health care or payment of care. HIPPA established rules for how this information can be used or disclosed.

If any ONE item is present, the information is considered “protected.”

• Name
• Social Security Number
• Employers
• Medical record or account number
• Names of relatives or household members
• Birth Date (except for year) or date of death
• Health plan beneficiary numbers
• Admission/Discharge date
• Vehicle numbers
• License plate number
• Photographs
• Biometric identifiers such as fingerprints and voiceprints
• Any other unique identifying characteristics

4. What happens if someone violates HIPPA? 

HIPPA’s privacy rule contains penalties for non-compliance. Fines up to $25,000 per person, per year for each simple violation. And Federal criminal penalties of up to $250,000 and 10 years in prison can be issued for using PHI for commercial advantage, personal gain, or malicious harm.

5. Does HIPPA apply to research? 

The answer is YES. All requests to access patient information for research purposes must be processed through the facility Institutional Review Board. Research may access and use PHI with the patient’s consent. Each facility has a HIPPA Privacy Representative to implement and monitor compliance with HIPPA policies

6. How are HIPPA violations reported?  

Patients who believe their privacy rights have been violated may file a formal complaint with the facility Privacy Officer or through the Department of Health and Human Services.

 

As your blogger, I’m all about empowering you to take control of your health and providing you with the pertinent facts! This quick guide should answer your questions and help you understand HIPPA!