Resources for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Health Care Providers Lack Understanding of HIPAA

www.kaisernetwork.org

The New York Times on Tuesday examined how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act "is misunderstood by medical professionals" and "the frustration -- and even peril -- that comes in its wake" (Gross, New York Times, 7/3).

The HIPAA Federal Privacy Rule, implemented in 2003, allows health care providers to share patient medical records for the purposes of treatment and other "health care operations." Providers do not have to obtain written consent before they disclose medical records but are required to inform patients of their rights and make a "good-faith effort" to obtain written acknowledgment from patients that they have received the information. Providers must obtain consent from patients before they can disclose medical records in "nonroutine" cases (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 6/20).

View the Resource

Share or bookmarklet this web page at: