The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Unit 2 – Individual Project

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a law that was
passed in the year 1996 (Gostin et al., 2009). The law was passed with a view of ensuring that
healthcare delivery in America was improved and efficiency improved. The act was signed
into law on 21st August 1996. After the enactment of HIPAA, a privacy rule began to be devised
by the Department of Health and Human Services. The privacy rule became enforceable in the
year 2003 (The HIPAA Guide, 2021). The privacy rule aimed at expounding what “Protected
Health Information” means. Protected health information alludes to any healthcare information
held by an entity concerned with the provision of healthcare as well as the payment of healthcare
(The HIPAA Guide, 2021). The privacy rule is concerned with the best use of healthcare
information. The act seeks to ensure that all healthcare-related organizations maintain the
integrity of patient data. It also empowers the patients and gives them rights over their healthcare
data. Patients can obtain a copy of their healthcare records as well as have their records amended.
HIPAA seeks to protect protected health information. Nurses have the duty and
responsibility to ensure that their actions are in line with the provisions of the law (Gostin et al.,
2009). Nurses cannot irregularly access or disclose healthcare information without the
permission of the patients. Nurses must treat a patient’s personal information as private and
confidential and must ensure that they do everything to protect the integrity of patient data
(Gostin et al., 2009). Nurses must exhibit accountability and follow organizational rules that are
put in place to protect the data of patients.
The regulation has made the delivery of healthcare in the country better. First, it
guarantees that electronic health records are protected so as to ensure confidentiality of patient

UNIT 2 – INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 3
information, as well as availability and integrity of health records. The records are well protected
and, at the same time, easily accessed by healthcare providers. In the modern world, healthcare
records are no longer stored n locked cabinets. Since information is broadly transmitted and held
electronically, the regulation provides clear guidelines on how this information should be
handled, shared, and stored. HIPAA provides a rule on how entities such as health insurers,
medical providers, and healthcare clearinghouses use and disclose protected health information
(PHI) (Gostin et al., 2009). These entities can only disclose PHI to law enforcement agencies
upon authorization by the courts, subpoena, warrants ordered by courts, or other administrative
requests. Thus, HIPAA has put in place rules that protect patient information, and patients are
assured that personally identifiable medical information is well protected.
Overall, HIPAA has revolutionized the medical field in the country. Covered entities that
have access to PHI may not disclose or even use it except in instances where the rule permits. In
case any entity wants to use or disclose PHI, then the individual concerned has a right o be
notified before such an action is taken. HIPAA thus gives individual patients’ rights to consent to
the use or disclosure of their private information (Edemekong et al., 2020). The rule also gives
patients a right to obtain a copy and access a copy of their medical information. Such changes
have seen entities in the health care sector act more responsibly when handling protected health
information. It identifies civil and criminal penalties for instances when such covered entities
reach the rule. HPI is thus well protected under the rule.

UNIT 2 – INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 4

References

Edemekong, P., Annamaraju, P., & Haydel, M. (2020). Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act. StatPearls.
Gostin, L. O., Levit, L. A., & Nass, S. J. (Eds.). (2009). Beyond the HIPAA privacy rule:
enhancing privacy, improving health through research. National Academies Press.
Gostin, L. O., Levit, L. A., & Nass, S. J. (Eds.). (2009). Beyond the HIPAA privacy rule:
enhancing privacy, improving health through research. National Academies Press.
The HIPAA Guide. (2021). History of HIPAA. Retrieved 20 January 2021, from
https://www.hipaaguide.net/history-of-hipaa/