TL;DR:
Imagine you have a personal diary that contains all your health secrets. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is like a set of rules that ensures only the people you trust can read your diary. It makes sure your health information is kept safe and private, and only shared with those who need to know, like your doctor. This helps protect your privacy and keeps your health information secure.
Details For the Techies:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 establishes national standards for protecting and handling electronic protected health information (ePHI). It includes several key components:
The Security Rule sets national standards for protecting ePHI. It includes technical, physical, and administrative security measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI. The Privacy Rule outlines how and with whom protected health information (PHI) can be shared. It also grants individuals certain rights regarding their health information, such as the right to access and request corrections to their records. HIPAA compliance requires diligence and understanding from employees. Organizations must have proper HIPAA and security training, data governance, risk management policies, clear documentation, and institutional reporting. Unauthorized access to PHI is a violation of HIPAA. This includes access that occurs unknowingly due to improper data security measures.
HIPAA applies to health plans, healthcare providers, and their business associates, covering a wide range of entities including healthcare facilities, private offices, students, non-patient care employees, billing companies, and electronic medical record companies.
