Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
federal privacy protections for PHI, comprehensive set of standards and practices designed to give patients specific rights
protected health information (PHI)
demographic data, name, address, birthday, social security number, medical record, medical payments
What happens if a provider violates HIPAA?
serious fines, loss of employment, criminal prosecution
Who can talk about a patient?
only professionals working with them
What should be done with patient records?
NOT accessible and open to the public, be careful with them (including digital hacking or leaving records out)
Who can PHI be disclosed to?
when the patient is present and consents, or when the patient has given permission to use the mail, phone, or messages to people
When can information be shared?
payment, serious public health risk, injury, child abuse, neglect, domestic violence, worker's compensation laws, legal proceedings, law enforcement, designated legal guardians, disaster relief notifying families
proper office risk analysis
assess vulnerabilities, protect electronic data, lock away paper files
Do patients have the right to their own health records?
yes, no denying or overcharging