HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Answers to Questions

(1)Yes, the first and foremost mission of the HIPPA act was to protect medical records and other health information. The Department of Health and Human Services worked to create new standards that give patients increased control over how their records are used, who can access those records, and more ability to protect individual privacy. The law first passed in 1996 but did not begin to affect individual patients until most health care providers (doctors, pharmacies, hospitals, medical centers, clinics, and health insurance carriers) were required to comply in 2003. ...