Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

The intent of provisions of the HIPAA regulation is to create administrative simplification to assure portability of health insurance coverage in a secure electronic environment.  According to the ADA News, "HIPAA contains a statutory security provision that does not rely on publication of the final HIPAA security rule to take effect.  The law already requires that each person who maintains or transmits health information adopt reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards:

• To ensure the integrity and confidentiality of patient information;
• To protect against any reasonably anticipated threat or hazards to the security or integrity of the information;
• To protect against unauthorized uses or disclosures of the information;
• To otherwise ensure compliance among employees or officers."⁵

It is anticipated that the security rule will be clarified over time.  In the meantime, dentists who transmit patient information via computer networks should exercise caution to guard against a breach of patient privacy.

Click Here To Navigate Within Article >> Abstract Introduction Digital and Wireless Communication Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Technology Evolution and Revolution in Dentistry Dentistry and the Internet Practice Management: The Next Generation The Future of Dental Technology Conclusion References About the Author
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Citation Number: Vol. 2, No. 3, Page 053