HIPAA Training From the Government

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is managed through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS provides training materials through its website designed to help the public understand the background and purpose of HIPAA.

History

• HIPAA became Public Law 104-191 in 1996. It required HHS to adopt national standards for things like electronic health care transactions. It also recognized, for the first time, that electronic technology could interfere with the privacy of health information.

Significance

• All necessary materials for sufficient training come from the Office for Civil Rights and provide a full summary of the principles and provisions of the Privacy Rule. This office also provides information on administrative requirements in the workforce. It does not offer step-by-step government training, but does update this website as needed, should any modifications to HIPAA be made. Training materials are also available through the mail.

Misconceptions

• There are other websites that offer paid HIPAA training, or claim their courses are required for HIPAA compliance. In reality, any health care entity trains employees upon hiring. You should not have to pay for HIPAA training or any training materials.

Expert Insight

• The U.S. Department of Labor provides a broad overview of HIPAA on its website, including a six-chapter outline of HIPAA's umbrella of protection. The department notes that HIPAA covers a lot more than privacy, and it also provides other resources for those seeking additional information (see Resources).