What is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that was created in 1996 to protect the privacy of an individual’s health information. HIPAA is broken down into five sections, each of which has different rules that must be followed in order to protect the personal health information of individuals. The Privacy Rule governs how patient health information is used and shared. The Security Rule delineates how patient health data is transmitted, stored, and accessed. The Administrative Simplification Rule enables providers to send and receive electronic health information. The Enforcement Rule deals with how the federal government will enforce HIPAA compliance. Lastly, the Breach Notification Rule requires that consumers be notified if there is a breach of their protected health information. In California, HIPAA is a key part of data security law, as it requires that all healthcare providers and health plans ensure the safety and confidentiality of protected health information (PHI). HIPAA rules set forth standards for protecting the privacy and security of PHI and require that healthcare organizations have appropriate safeguards in place to prevent, detect, and respond to security incidents. HIPAA also requires that all organizations regularly assess their compliance with HIPAA and take corrective action if needed. These rules help ensure that the information of individuals in California is kept secure and protected.

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What is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?

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