HIPAA Standards Basics: Privacy, Security, Transactions And Code Sets
HIPAA Standards were set in 1996 when Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, otherwise known as HIPAA. HIPAA originally was conceived to improve fraud and abuse protections and provide protections for workers insured under group health plans when they leave their jobs and join a different group health plan. However, HIPAA Standards do much more than that. They set forth provisions designed to ensure administrative simplification across the health care industry by reducing paperwork, and ensure the confidentiality and privacy of health information about members. It can be simple, but not without the help of all partners all standards and implementation specifications of HIPAA can be met. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was charged with the release of regulations pursuant to the HIPAA law, and has released most of the regulations in final form, while others are still proposed. Below find some current definition of HIPAA regulations.
PRIVACY- enforced by HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
Standards for Privacy & Individually Identifiable Health Information: The final rule adopted standards for the privacy of personal health information.
SECURITY – enforced by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Security Standards: This final rule adopts standards for the security of electronic identifiable health information of health plans, health care clearinghouses, and certain health care providers. It implements administrative simplification initiatives that have a national scope beyond the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
TRANSACTIONS, CODE SETS and IDENTIFIERS – enforced by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Standards for Transactions and Code Sets: The final rule adopted the initial standards for transactions and code sets
Standard Unique Health Care Provider Identifier: This final rule establishes a standard unique identifier for all health care providers under HIPAA. The rule implements administrative Compliance date 5/23/07 simplification initiatives that have a national scope beyond Medicare and Medicaid.