Solutions for Covered Entities

Giving healthcare the security and the protection that it needs, the HIPAA Privacy Rule safeguards the confidentiality of patients’ healthcare information. The HIPAA Rule also offers federal protection of the confidential healthcare information maintained by covered entities with innumerable rights for the patient with regard to their personal health data. Ranging over technical, administrative and physical safeguards, the Security Rule offers these protective measures with electronic transfer of health records to covered entities to maintain the privacy and integrity of health records. With violations and insecurity of health records, the HIPAA Privacy Rule assures patients of protecting their personal information to ensure safety and prevent damage.

With covered entities being health plans, healthcare providers and clearing houses, the Administrative Simplification standards especially selected by the Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) would apply to any of the covered entities. The Privacy Rule is flexible and is able to handle disclosure of health information according to the situation involved in a balanced manner. There are many facts that covered entities need to be aware of with one of them being that a signed patient authorization is not needed when sharing health information for treatment. Incidental disclosures do not infringe or break the Privacy Rule according to the modifications made to the Privacy Rule in August 2002.

The Privacy Rule also allows the patient or the individual to share health information with family, relations and friends according to their preferences. Basic information may be shared about the general condition, the room number, being listed in hospital directory with the information about the patient being given to visitors, the clergy and the phone number if the patient does not object. The Privacy Rule allows the reporting of child abuse to government authorities and communication is allowed with the patient through telephone, facsimile and email. A Notice of Privacy Practices regarding the rights under the new rules and usage of personal health information will be given to the patient to sign and acknowledge. Covered providers and health plans should know the Privacy Rule regulations and its limits on how to use individually identifiable health information in order to promote the best quality care and security.

For more information, visit http://www.usmedicaltranscriptionservice.com/ or call 1-800-723-4308