Question

Explain the development of HIPPA, considering policymakers and their political standing, timelines, and budget restrictions.

Explain your rationale for choosing HIPPA.

Determine HIPPA’s strengths and weaknesses in its ability to provide positive and/or negative change for its target population.

Assess the extent to which HIPPA meets the needs of its target population.

Explain any unintended impacts as a result of HIPPA. Consider populations, economics, and social or cultural factors in your response.

Answer 1

• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was introduced by 104th United States Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996.
• It was created to modernise the health care insurance industry counld be protected from fraud and theft and addres limitation of insurance coverage.
• Yhe terms of HIPAA was submitted detailed recommendations bto congress by august 1997 by Secretary HHS to protect the privacy of personally identifiable health information.
• Secretary Shalala acted for passage of federal privacy legislation which stated that Congress exact national standard that provide fundamental privacy right for patient and explain the responsibility for those who service them.
• During the 1999 session of Congress eight such bills were introduced but none of these passed .
• In march 2002, HHS under the Bush administration published a modification to privacy rule.
• Rationale for choosing HIPAA:
  • Controls to secure patient data to prevent health care fraud.
  • Improve efficacy in health care system
  • Reduce paperwork burden
  • Prohibits tax deduction of interest on life insurance loan
• Benefit :
  • Helped to create a culture of compliance within many health care organizations.
  • Help to build better security within organisation
  • Promote the ability between organisation
  • Helped to develop health care information and patient confidentiality.
• Negativity of HIPAA is that it imposes potentially compromise quality and timelines of patient care.
• Extent of HIPAA:
  • To business associates
  • For public health purpose as required by state and federal law.
  • To public agencies for health oversight activities such as audits, civil criminal or administrative proceedings.
  • To law enforcement officials
  • For research
• Unintended consequence of HIPAA:
  • Limits restrictions that a group health plan can place on benefit for pre existing conditions.
  • Social media is a common source of privacy breaching.
    • Mentioning a patient name
    • Posting photograph or video recording of patient
  • These types of HIPAA violation lead to bad publicity , employee termination and adverse effects on patient satisfaction.