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In April 2001, the final
regulations protecting the
privacy of confidential
health information under
HIPAA (the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability
Act of 1996) went into effect.
This law includes provisions
designed to provide patients
with access to their medical
records, save money for
health care organizations
and businesses by encouraging
electronic transactions,
and other facets. For patients,
however, another important
aspect is that it requires
new safeguards be implemented
by medical, insurance, healthcare,
and some other businesses
and practitioners to protect
the security and confidentiality
of that information.
As a result of the passage
of this regulation, healthcare,
medical, and insurance offices
began instituting new procedures
and training safeguards
including changes to procedures
in office filing and storage,
computer use, and more.
The HIPAA regulations required
affected organizations to:
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"...develop
and implement policies
and procedures that
restrict access and
uses of protected health
information..."
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Certain safeguards were
also to be implemented,
including examples,
such as, "...shredding
documents..., securing
medical records with
lock and key or pass
code, and limiting access
to keys or pass
codes."
Full HIPAA compliance has
been required by federal
law since April 14, 2003.
The rule is enforced by
the HHS Office for Civil
Rights (OCR), and OCRs was
named responsible for providing
assistance to health care
providers, hospitals, insurance
agencies, doctor offices
and health clearinghouses
in meeting the regulation's
requirements.
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