HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. President Bill Clinton passed it in August of 1996. Almost every healthcare insurance company and provider had to adhere to the regulations and guidelines by October of 2002, October 2003 for smaller plans. All health organizations, government health plans, and healthcare providers have to comply with the regulations of the HIPAA law. Certain self-administered small health organizations are excluded.

The HIPAA law was passed to simplify the health care system and ensure security for patients. It is also intended to reduce fraudulent activity and protect the privacy of your medical records. It is also estimated to save nine billion dollars yearly when fully adhered to. This law protects your personnel health information. It gives you rights and enforces rules and regulations as to who has access to your health information.

The HIPAA law also states that the “Notice of Privacy Practices” statement must be given to you when you go to a new facility or healthcare provider for the first time. This states how healthcare providers can use your personal medical information and whom they can give that information to. You will only have to sign the paperwork once and it becomes a part of your permanent file. Medical staff signs that same agreement once a year also saying they understand the law and will uphold them.

HIPAA gives you the right to see your records and get copies. You will be notified if your information has to be given to specialists, healthcare insurance companies or billing personnel. If you think your rights have been violated when it comes to this, you can file complaints.

Your healthcare provider can share your information with other healthcare professionals involved in your care such as specialists. It gives them the right to report information that affects the public health such as gunshot wounds, infectious disease and dog bites. It also gives your doctors etc. to share your information with family and/or friends but only those that YOU determine.

HIPAA also gives you the right to access to your information including lab and test results and communication between healthcare providers along with office visit notes. Only those people involved in your care have access to it though. This includes doctors, nurse and other medical personnel along with people in the billing office. If they are not involved with your care though they have no access to it.

Jacob Juneuloi is a health insurance writer on group health insurance & hipaa. Read articles by Jacob Juneuloi on health insurance.