Resources for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Fine line of protecting mentally ill

www.fortwayne.com

Last year in Allen County, 418 people were committed for 72 hours, and 59 petitions were filed for longer involuntary commitments. Most people were released after treatment and function well as long as they remain on medication.But medical advancements have been accompanied by legal changes that can make it more difficult to prevent tragedy when treatment fails. The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in the early 1990s, gives mentally ill students the right to attend college and denies employers the right to inquire about the mental health of job applicants. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), passed in 2003, protects patient privacy so zealously that not even worried parents have the right to know their mentally ill child has been admitted to the hospital and might need their love and help.

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