HIPAA

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HIPAA

• Governing Board Training
• September 28, 2006

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What is HIPAA??

• HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and
  Accountability Act of 1996.
• It is a law which gives patients the right to
  gain access to their records, to request
  amendments to their health information, and which
  limits ways the facility uses their information.

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Privacy Security
HIPAA has two elements

• HIPAA privacy - entitles the patient to 100
  confidentiality of their protected health
  information (PHI)
• HIPAA security - entitles the patient to 100
  confidentiality of their electronic protected
  health information (ePHI)

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What is PHI?

• PHI is individually identifiable health
  information about an individual
• Examples A patients name, address, social
  security number, age, employer, medical
  condition, medications, etc.

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What is ePHI?

• ePHI is electronic protected health information
  maintained or transmitted in electronic form.
• Examples Electronic information which includes
  a patients name, address, social security
  number, age, employer, medical condition,
  medications, etc.

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Use of PHI and ePHI

• Victims of abuse, neglect, domestic violence
• Investigations or government activities
• Lawsuits and disputes
• Law enforcement
• Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral
  directors

• Treatment, payment, and daily operations
• Appointments and recalls
• Research
• Workers Compensation
• Public health issues such as disease control

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What does this mean to me?

• protect patients information
• properly dispose of any paperwork that is no
  longer needed, but has private patient
  information on it, by shredding it
• keep records locked up when not in use

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What does this mean to me?

• only discus a patients information with persons
  who are authorized to know the information
• report a violation or situation that could cause
  a violation immediately to the Human Resource
  Director

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HIPAA complaints are thoroughly investigated and,
if found substantiated, employees who violate a
patients protected rights are subject to
corrective action up to and including dismissal.
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For more information please contact Kathrine
HallHuman Resource Director409-938-2230khall_at_gc
hd.org.