2. Health Information Privacy
HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the privacy of
individually identifiable health information; the
HIPAA Security Rule, which sets national
standards for the security of electronic protected
health information; and the confidentiality
provisions of the Patient Safety Rule, which
protect identifiable information being used to
analyze patient safety events and improve
patient safety.

3. The HIPAA Privacy Rule provides federal protections for personal health information
held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that
information. At the same time, the Privacy Rule is balanced so that it permits the
disclosure of personal health information needed for patient care and other important
purposes.
The Security Rule specifies a series of administrative, physical, and technical
safeguards for covered entities to use to assure the confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of electronic protected health information.

4. Understanding Health Information
Privacy
Your Health Information Is
For Consumers Protected By Federal Law
 Most of us believe that our medical and  Most of us believe that our medical and
other health information is private and other health information is private and
should be protected, and we want to should be protected, and we want to
know who has this information. The know who has this information. The
Privacy Rule, a Federal law, gives you Privacy Rule, a Federal law, gives you
rights over your health information and rights over your health information and
sets rules and limits on who can look at sets rules and limits on who can look at
and receive your health information. and receive your health information.
The Privacy Rule applies to all forms of The Privacy Rule applies to all forms of
individuals' protected health individuals' protected health
information, whether information, whether electronic,
electronic, written, or oral. The Security written, or oral. The Security Rule, a
Rule, a Federal law that protects health Federal law that protects health
information in electronic form, requires information in electronic form, requires
entities covered by HIPAA to ensure entities covered by HIPAA to ensure
that electronic protected health that electronic protected health
information is secure. information is secure.

5. For Covered Entities
 The Privacy and Security  If an entity is not a covered
Rules apply only to covered
entities. Individuals, organizat entity, it does not have to
ions, and agencies that meet comply with the Privacy
the definition of a covered Rule or the Security Rule.
entity under HIPAA must
comply with the Rules'
requirements to protect the
privacy and security of health
information and must provide
individuals with certain rights
with respect to their health
information.

6. • A Health Plan
• This includes:
• Health insurance companies
• HMOs
• Company health plans
• Government programs that pay for health
care, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the
military and veterans health care programs

7. A Health Care Provider
This includes providers such as:
Doctors
Clinics
Psychologists
Dentists
Chiropractors
Nursing Homes
Pharmacies
...but only if they transmit any information in
an electronic form in connection with a
transaction for which HHS has adopted a
standard.

8. A Health Care Clearinghouse
This includes entities that process nonstandard health
information they receive from another entity into a
standard (i.e., standard electronic format or data
content), or vice versa.

9. Workforce Compliance
♦Provide privacy training to all of its workforce,
as necessary and appropriate to their functions
♦Designate a privacy official person responsible for
privacy policies and procedures
♦Develop and apply a system of sanctions for
employees who violate the entity’s policies

11. References
HIPAA compliant transactions (2012). Retrieved September 12, 2012 from
www.batuta.org/billing.html
Privacy (2012). Retrieved September 12, 2012 from www.hhs.gov
Wolper, L. (2011) Health care administration: Managing organized delivery
systems. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.