HIPAA Provisions — An Overview

A graduate of George Washington University Law School, Martin Price previously served as chief operating officer and general counsel of Alteon Health in Germantown, Maryland. In his work at Alteon, Martin Price led the integration of 10 health care delivery businesses while ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Enacted in 1996, HIPAA is federal law created primarily to improve and secure the flow of sensitive patient health information. The law also includes provisions that protect the health care coverage of workers and their families when they change their jobs or become unemployed.

One of the key HIPAA provisions is the Privacy Rule, which governs how health care providers handle written and oral information related to a patient’s mental or physical health condition. The Privacy Rule was carefully crafted to ensure privacy protection while also permitting an adequate flow of information needed to deliver high-quality health care.

Along with protecting patient privacy and health care coverage, HIPAA, which is organized into five “Titles,” includes sections focused on medical savings accounts, group health plans, and company-owned life insurance policies. The list of entities required to comply with HIPAA includes health care providers, insurance companies, and employers.