Insurance Information & Privacy Protection Act

The Insurance Information & Privacy Protection Act (IIPPA) regulates the collection and use of your personal information by an insurance provider. The law was adopted by a number of states in the early 1980s as a way of protecting consumers' rights to privacy. It's essentially a state consumer protection law. In 2003, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) took effect and pertains to all states. HIPAA is a set of patient privacy rules that all health care providers, health insurance companies, physician's offices, hospitals and pharmacies-must follow. In some cases, HIPAA includes more stringent rules to protect your medical information and complements IIPPA.

Personal Data Use

• You must submit personal data about your health status, family history, as well as other personal information as part of your application for insurance coverage or when you're submitting an insurance claim.

Privacy Notice

• IIPPA requires that the insurance provider give you a privacy notice detailing the provider's method for keeping the information supplied to them private. The notice also contains information about how your information is shared and provides you the right to withhold certain information from being shared.

Declined Coverage or Denied Claims

• When you're declined insurance coverage or your claim is denied, the law states you have the right to know why.

Renewal and Other Policy Changes

• IPPAA also mandates an insurance company must give reasonable notice for policy renewal and notify you of other policy changes it implements.

Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

• Although HIPAA provides comprehensive protection when it comes to sharing your medical information, your state privacy laws may offer you more generous benefits. See the link below for more information about your state's privacy laws, which may afford you better protection, especially when it comes to sharing your medical information and issues of discrimination.