How to Handle Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act Violations in a Hospital Environment

In the health care business, there are certain standards and laws that have been put in place to protect our patients and their personal health information. When a health care facility fails to protect their patient’s confidential information, the US Government may get involved and facilities may be forced to pay huge sums of money in fines, and risk damaging their reputation.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed by congress in 1996, and helps to ensure the privacy and security of Electronic Health Records (EHR's). By following the rules and regulations set forth under HIPAA, we can ensure the safety of patients' EHR's. We are responsible for protecting patients' records, and there are many measures we can take in order do this. Firstly, we must always keep patients' health information private. This means no discussing the records with people that are not authorized to know, and even then, we should only disclose the minimum necessary amount of information possible. For covered entities, we must designate a privacy and security officer to ensure the privacy

There are numerous rules and regulations that have been a huge impact to healthcare organizations. The one major rule that has affected the healthcare industry in so many ways is The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA. This report will examine how HIPAA relates to healthcare organizations by explaining how HIPAA is implemented, Identifying which agency or regulatory body is responsible for overseeing HIPAA and Explain how Healthcare Organizations or Healthcare Industries are impacted by HIPAA.

Healthcare technology has grown and evolved over time. With the conversion to electronic medical records and the creation of social media just to name a few, ensuring patient privacy is of the utmost importance for healthcare facilities in this day and age. In order for an organization to avoid hefty fines, it is imperative that a healthcare administrator maintains compliance with the standards and regulations associated with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This paper will provide a summary

HIPAA requires nurses and nursing students to keep patients’ medical records confidential at all time. For instance, I used computer to review patient’s diagnosis, I made sure that I signed off the computer after using it. I also made sure that all the information I brought home with me did not include patient’s name and other information that identify patient identity.

This educational needs assessment will cover Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center. Heart of Lancaster is a full service, 139 bed community hospital located on a scenic campus in Lititz, PA. The hospital staff pride ourselves on providing the highest quality care in all service areas. Our intense focus on customer service and patient safety has created a unique healing environment. In addition to our personalized care, we offer state-of-the-art technology and a medical staff consisting of the finest physicians in the area. All of the patient rooms are private and we provide free, convenient parking in a safe neighborhood. We have also achieved top scores from the Joint Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Health and are accredited Chest Pain Center. Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center is partially owned by physicians. Needs Assessment The nursing services provided at Heart of Lancaster include a number of clinical services in areas such as bariatric care, cardiology, robotic surgery, the day hospital, pediatrics and a number of other areas. As mentioned above, the hospital is a full service institution that is well awarded and provides a lot of services. However, even in great institutions, things can be improved for the approximately 200 nurses employed on staff. From the research that this author has doen, the geatest gap in our hospital's educational needs (and possibly the most expensive is the lack of knowledge of HIPAA (Health

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was signed into legislation in 1996, with the final version of its privacy rules going into effect in 2002. In addition to insurance and healthcare transaction regulations, HIPAA includes two key features. First, the portability of health care for workers who transition between jobs. Second, HIPAA regulates how patient’s health information must be secured with detailed privacy policies. It is important that HIPAA practices are employed by the clinic for several reasons. First and foremost, it is legally required by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HIPAA non-compliance can lead to financial penalties and lost accreditation with The Joint Commission which will have

HIPAA (Health Insurance and Portability Act of 1996), outlines rules, regulations and the rights of patients to access their healthcare information such as notifications of privacy practices, copying and viewing medical records, and amendments. This paper explains why confidentiality is important today and discusses recourses patients can use if they believe their privacy has been violated. This paper will also discuss criminal and civil penalties’ that can occur for breaking HIPAA privacy rules.

Even though hipaa violations are an important standard in preventing many individuals from causing several breaches of information from getting out, it is important to work on a strategies within several health care organizations that will work with the privacy rules regarding violation laws. “Jill Granger & Laura Cataldo (2013) reports When working in the healthcare setting, it is important to consult with the guidelines established by one's institution and to participate in any training programs to insure that the appropriate steps are being taken to maintain privacy. There are also a variety of additional resources available from the federal government and professional organizations to assist in the training process that may be especially

I think that this article has been of great use to me not only because it gives me the information about how HIPPA regulations can be violated and how nurses will be finned for the violation if its done innocently or knowing, but it also gives me the information on ways that clinics can have a system set and how they can prevent and teach their employees about HIPAA violations and what the facility would need to do in order to avoid violations on HIPAA

HIPAA, (Health Insurance and Portability Act of 1996) outlines rules and regulations and the rights of patients to access their healthcare information such as notifications of privacy practices, copying and viewing medical records, and amendments. This paper explains why confidentiality is important today and discusses recourses patients can use if they believe their privacy has been violated. This paper will also discuss criminal and civil penalties’ that can occur for breaking HIPAA privacy rules.

This article influences me in a large number of various ways. Most importantly, with these rules set up my records are put in safe hands and will be shielded from everybody who wishes to steal them and bring damage to me and also other individuals. It clarifies the tenets and regulations of this act and secures regular individuals like you and me amid times of great chaos and destruction. As a patient, I am truly enthusiastic this has been implemented and that there is clear framework set up intended to secure my data, essential nonreplaceable records, and oral discussions between attendants, specialists and so forth that should only be between us. “I am thankful that all HIPAA covered entities must comply with the Security Rule and all of this also include health plans and a majority of healthcare providers, medical clearinghouses, and drug card sponsors” (HIPAA 2-3). There are actually two rules, one for privacy and the other for security, which is two distinct things.

Did you know that violating HIPAA can lead to criminal charges and even possible jail time? Also can cost you up to $1.5 million a year depending on the violation (Brown,2014). Violating HIPAA can be something as little as talking about the treatment of your patient that day to another nurse in the elevator. In this paper HIPAA will be defined and the importance of HIPAA in the health care system. As well as outcomes of what will happen if laws are violated. In addition, the scenario ending and what should happen to the nurse. Lastly, the advantages and disadvantages of cellphones and electronic devices in healthcare.

Most people have a basic understanding about HIPAA and what it entails, but for future healthcare leaders, it is a critical issue. The goals behind the HIPAA privacy rules are very beneficial for keeping individual’s health information private, but it does place a heavy burden on organizations to ensure the information remains protected. Healthcare leaders have always had to adapt to change, but it is becoming increasingly necessary to have leaders that can adapt quicker than ever. Not only do they need to keep up with the technological advances in healthcare, but they also need to become compliant with the new and ever-changing healthcare laws. Numerous modifications have been implemented under HIPAA in the

Although the EHR is still in a transitional state, this major shift that electronic medical records are taking is bringing many concerns to the table. Two concerns at the top of the list are privacy and standardization issues. In 1996, U.S. Congress enacted a non-for-profit organization called Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law establishes national standards for privacy and security of health information. HIPAA deals with information standards, data integrity, confidentiality, accessing and handling your medical information. They also were designed to guarantee transferred information be protected from one facility to the next (Meridan, 2007). But even with the HIPAA privacy rules, they too have their shortcomings. HIPAA can’t fully safeguard the limitations of who’s accessible to your information. A short stay at your local