The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is a landmark piece of American legislation that revolutionized the handling of health information. It was enacted by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996. HIPAA was primarily designed to protect the privacy and security of patients’ medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers.
HIPAA consists of five main sections or titles. Title I protects health insurance coverage for individuals who lose or change jobs. Title II, known as the Administrative Simplification provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers. It also addresses the security and privacy of health data. Titles III through V cover tax-related provisions and guidelines for medical care.
The Privacy Rule, a key component of HIPAA, establishes national standards for the protection of individually identifiable health information. It applies to three types of covered entities: health plans, health care clearinghouses, and certain health care providers that conduct standard healthcare transactions electronically. Under the Privacy Rule, patients have rights over their health information, including rights to examine and obtain a copy of their health records and request corrections.
The Security Rule complements the Privacy Rule. It lays out standards for protecting individuals’ electronic personal health information that is created, received, used, or maintained by a covered entity. The rule requires appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic protected health information.
Violations of HIPAA can lead to significant penalties, ranging from fines to criminal charges, depending on the severity of the breach and the level of negligence involved. Enforcement of HIPAA regulations is carried out by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).