The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a law that applies to the collection, use, and disclosure of personal health information in the United States. It sets out the rules that organizations must follow to protect the privacy and security of personal health information.
HIPAA applies to
- covered entities, which include health plans, health care clearinghouses, and certain types of health care providers.
- It also applies to business associates of covered entities, which are organizations that perform certain functions or activities on behalf of, or provide certain services to, a covered entity.
To be HIPAA-compliant, covered entities and business associates must
- implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal health information.
- This includes implementing policies and procedures to ensure that the information is kept secure and confidential, and providing individuals with certain rights in relation to their personal health information.
If a covered entity or business associate is found to be non-compliant with HIPAA, it may be subject to
- fines and other penalties.
- The specific penalties depend on the nature and severity of the HIPAA violation, and may include civil and criminal penalties.
Some examples of companies that may be impacted by HIPAA include
- Hospitals,
- Clinics,
- Health insurance companies, and
- Companies that provide services such as billing or coding to health care providers.
HIPAA applies to these companies if they meet the criteria of a covered entity or business associate, as described above.
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