How Successful Is HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was instituted by Congress in 1996, in effort to protect the privacy and confidentiality of patient health care information. Adherence to HIPAA is required by all parties identified as a covered entity, so that HIPAA compliance may be successful.

Statistics

• According to data produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a total of 744 HIPAA complaints were filed in October 2010. Of the 744 complaints filed, CMS closed 702 cases through enforcement activities, such as corrective action plans for providers and covered entities. HIPAA investigation activities are successful, as evidenced by the 94 percent complaint closure rate in October 2010.

Enforcement Processes

• HIPAA has an effective enforcement process in place to handle complaints and ensure that all reports that are filed receive a thorough investigation. If a complaint is found to indeed be a HIPAA violation, the Department of Justice gets involved to determine a fair and objective punishment.

Considerations

• According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, HIPAA has been successful in preserving patient information, but it has also created significant challenges for health care providers. Specifically, the processes required under HIPAA make it difficult for doctors to exchange patient information, which puts an added delay on patient care.