Guidelines for a HIPAA Waiver at a Physician's Office

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law passed in 1996 to protect privacy and other health care rights for patients, their medical information, and how it is disclosed.

Who Is Required To Follow HIPAA?

• A "covered entity" is defined as a health care provider or clearing house that transmits personal health information either written, spoken or electronically. The following are considered covered entities and must follow H.I.P.A.A. standards: hospitals; clinics; physicians; allied providers; labs; health plan payers; health clearinghouses; and alternative medical practitioners.

What Information is Protected?

• Any information that can identify a patient must be protected. Information such as: name; date of birth; phone numbers; Social Security numbers; medical charts; voice records; record numbers; health plan numbers; and beneficiaries.

How is My Information Protected?

• Covered entities are required to take certain measures to protect a patient's identity. This can be done in the following ways: locking file cabinets behind locked doors; keeping appointment books closed so that information is not seen by other people; keeping electronic documents safe by way of firewall, encryption, passwords, and anti-virus software; and keeping access to information limited only to what is necessary to carry out the function of the business or for employees to do their job.