How to Explain HIPAA

HIPAA is America's Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act. Congress approved it in 2003 in order to protect the privacy of patients while allowing patients easier access to their medical files. It also allows people to change incorrect information in their files more quickly.

Things You'll Need

• Checklist of HIPAA terms

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Instructions

Explanation

• 1

  Let patients know that they have the right to review their medical files within 30 days of requesting them and that the law also allows them to correct errors in their files.

• 2

  Tell patients that HIPAA also gives them a notice of privacy, informing them that all health care professionals must let their patients know how their medical files will be used. The patients are required to sign this notice and write down who is allowed to access their files -- for example, a spouse or a parent.

• 3

  Tell people that HIPAA will prevent outside sources from examining their medical files -- for example, banks, insurance companies, and other businesses. This federal privacy act will not allow patient information to be used for attempts to market products.

• 4

  HIPAA makes all discourse between a patient and physician confidential. The health care provider must keep any and all health-care concerns or diseases private and can't disclose sensitive patient information in a voice mail message or email message.