Resources for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Backlash Against Overzealous Application of Patient Data Law

www.dotmed.com

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, is causing frustration for people seeking medical information about family members, the New York Times reports. Many healthcare providers do not understand the law, and are overzealous in keeping details confidential, even when the persons requesting details are related to the patient.

HIPAA, as it is less-than-affectionately known, was supposed to make it easier for Americans to change jobs and keep their health insurance while improving the security of patient data. Yet the letter of the law, passed in 1996, is somewhat ambiguous. While HIPAA mandates two disclosures of data, one to the patient and one to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), other disclosures are optional. A patient may object to a particular disclosure, but other than that, the discretion belongs to the provider.

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