Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1. Other short titles. Kassebaum–Kennedy Act, Kennedy–Kassebaum Act. Long title. An Act To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1. Acronyms(colloquial)HIPAA (pronounced , HIP- uh)Enacted bythe 1. United States Congress.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996; Other short titles: Kassebaum–Kennedy Act, Kennedy–Kassebaum Act: Long title: An Act To amend the. Russell V. Stephenson passed away on March 13, 2015 at the amazing age of 94. He had been living in an assisted living facility in Salem, Va. since the passing of his. ATLANTIC BEACH — Jessica Talbert of Oakboro and Christopher Foote exchanged vows in a double-ring ceremony Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. at Fort Macon State Park, with Wesley. Citations. Public law. Pub. L. 1. 04–1. 91. Statutes at Large. Stat. 1. 93. 6Legislative history. Introduced in the Houseas. H. R. 3. 10. 3by. Bill Archer (R- TX) on March 1. Committee consideration by. House Ways and Means. Passed the House on March 2. Passed the Senate on April 2. S. 1. 02. 8)Reported by the joint conference committee on July 3. House on August 1, 1. Senate on August 2, 1. Signed into law by President. Bill Clintonon August 2. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1. HIPAA; Pub. L. 1. Stat. 1. 93. 6, enacted August 2. United States Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1. It has been known as the Kennedy–Kassebaum Act or Kassebaum–Kennedy Act after two of its leading sponsors.[1][2] The Act consists of five Titles. Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs.[3] Title II of HIPAA, known as the Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers.[4] Title III sets guidelines for pre- tax medical spending accounts, Title IV sets guidelines for group health plans, and Title V governs company- owned life insurance policies. There are five sections to the act, known as titles. Title I: Health Care Access, Portability, and Renewability[edit]Title I of HIPAA regulates the availability and breadth of group health plans and certain individual health insurance policies. It amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code. Title I requires the coverage of and also limits restrictions that a group health plan can place on benefits for preexisting conditions. Group health plans may refuse to provide benefits relating to preexisting conditions for a period of 1. Title I allows individuals to reduce the exclusion period by the amount of time that they had "creditable coverage" prior to enrolling in the plan and after any "significant breaks" in coverage.[6] "Creditable coverage" is defined quite broadly and includes nearly all group and individual health plans, Medicare, and Medicaid.[7] A "significant break" in coverage is defined as any 6. Along with an exception, allowing employers to tie premiums or co- payments to tobacco use, or body mass index. Title I[9] also requires insurers to issue policies without exclusion to those leaving group health plans with creditable coverage (see above) exceeding 1. Some health care plans are exempted from Title I requirements, such as long- term health plans and limited- scope plans such as dental or vision plans that are offered separately from the general health plan. However, if such benefits are part of the general health plan, then HIPAA still applies to such benefits. For example, if the new plan offers dental benefits, then it must count creditable continuous coverage under the old health plan towards any of its exclusion periods for dental benefits. An alternate method of calculating creditable continuous coverage is available to the health plan under Title I. That is, 5 categories of health coverage can be considered separately, including dental and vision coverage. Anything not under those 5 categories must use the general calculation (e. Since limited- coverage plans are exempt from HIPAA requirements, the odd case exists in which the applicant to a general group health plan cannot obtain certificates of creditable continuous coverage for independent limited- scope plans such as dental to apply towards exclusion periods of the new plan that does include those coverages. Hidden exclusion periods are not valid under Title I (e. The accident, to be covered, must have occurred while the beneficiary was covered under this exact same health insurance contract"). Such clauses must not be acted upon by the health plan and also must be re- written so that they comply with HIPAA. Title II: Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse; Administrative Simplification; Medical Liability Reform[edit]Title II of HIPAA establishes policies and procedures for maintaining the privacy and the security of individually identifiable health information, outlines numerous offenses relating to health care, and establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations. It also creates several programs to control fraud and abuse within the health- care system.[1. However, the most significant provisions of Title II are its Administrative Simplification rules. Title II requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase the efficiency of the health- care system by creating standards for the use and dissemination of health- care information. These rules apply to "covered entities" as defined by HIPAA and the HHS. Covered entities include health plans, health care clearinghouses, such as billing services and community health information systems, and health care providers that transmit health care data in a way that is regulated by HIPAA.[1. Per the requirements of Title II, the HHS has promulgated five rules regarding Administrative Simplification: the Privacy Rule, the Transactions and Code Sets Rule, the Security Rule, the Unique Identifiers Rule, and the Enforcement Rule. Privacy Rule[edit]The effective compliance date of the Privacy Rule was April 1. The HIPAA Privacy Rule regulates the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) held by "covered entities" (generally, health care clearinghouses, employer sponsored health plans, health insurers, and medical service providers that engage in certain transactions.)[1. By regulation, the Department of Health and Human Services extended the HIPAA privacy rule to independent contractors of covered entities who fit within the definition of "business associates".[1. PHI is any information held by a covered entity that concerns health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that can be linked to an individual.[1. This is interpreted rather broadly and includes any part of an individual's medical record or payment history. Covered entities must disclose PHI to the individual within 3. They also must disclose PHI when required to do so by law such as reporting suspected child abuse to state child welfare agencies.[1. Covered entities may disclose protected health information to law enforcement officials for law enforcement purposes as required by law (including court orders, court- ordered warrants, subpoenas) and administrative requests; or to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person.[2. A covered entity may not disclose PHI (Protected Health Information) to facilitate treatment, payment, or health care operations without a patient's express written authorization.[2. Any other disclosures of PHI (Protected Health Information) require the covered entity to obtain written authorization from the individual for the disclosure.[2. However, when a covered entity discloses any PHI, it must make a reasonable effort to disclose only the minimum necessary information required to achieve its purpose.[2. The Privacy Rule gives individuals the right to request that a covered entity correct any inaccurate PHI.[2. It also requires covered entities to take reasonable steps to ensure the confidentiality of communications with individuals.[2. For example, an individual can ask to be called at his or her work number instead of home or cell phone numbers. The Privacy Rule requires covered entities to notify individuals of uses of their PHI. Covered entities must also keep track of disclosures of PHI and document privacy policies and procedures.[2. They must appoint a Privacy Official and a contact person[2. PHI.[2. 8]An individual who believes that the Privacy Rule is not being upheld can file a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR).[2. However, according to the Wall Street Journal, the OCR has a long backlog and ignores most complaints. Complaints of privacy violations have been piling up at the Department of Health and Human Services. Between April of 2. November 2. 00. 6, the agency fielded 2. A spokesman for the agency says it has closed three- quarters of the complaints, typically because it found no violation or after it provided informal guidance to the parties involved."[3. However, in July 2. UCLA agreed to pay $8. HIPAA violations. An HHS Office for Civil Rights investigation showed that from 2. UCLAHS patients.[3. Final Omnibus Rule Update[edit]In January 2. HIPAA was updated via the Final Omnibus Rule.[3. Included in changes were updates to the Security Rule and Breach Notification portions of the HITECH Act. The greatest changes relate to the expansion of requirements to include business associates, where only covered entities had originally been held to uphold these sections of the law. Additionally, the definition of "significant harm" to an individual in the analysis of a breach was updated to provide more scrutiny to covered entities with the intent of disclosing breaches that previously were unreported. Previously an organization needed proof that harm had occurred whereas now they must prove the counter, that harm had not occurred. Protection of PHI was changed from indefinite to 5. More severe penalties for violation of PHI privacy requirements were also approved. HITECH Act: Privacy Requirements[edit]See the Privacy section of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act). Actually, The Bus Is Good. I have a great job. I get to make videos with a super- talented group of car fanatics. There is, however, one caveat to this job. I have to commute from an outer borough in New York City into Manhattan. This often means taking the subway, which this summer especially, has proven to be a nightmare. But I have something to suggest: when you can, take the bus, for the bus is good. Total darkness. Dwindling supplies of air. Temperatures said to feel over 1. The New York …Read more My commute is 4. If I were to walk, it would take an hour and a half. Biking, 3. 5 minutes. Driving a car myself would take roughly 3. Walking takes too long, and to be honest, I am afraid of biking in Manhattan (even though I do bike in Queens, and I am pretty sure it is way more dangerous.) That’s leaves two modes of getting to my office everyday. The bus and the subway. I hate the subway. Full stop. Now I don’t use the word “hate” very often, as I like to reserve it for special times. Like, “Shit, I really hate that Smash Mouth hasn’t gotten into the Music Hall of Fame yet.” Or, “I hate The Breakfast Club. I can’t stand any of those fuckers.”But New York’s subway is so bad right now that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared it to be in a state of emergency. The infrastructure, apparently, dates back to the Revolutionary War. They still have to switch the tracks manually. I mean, seriously? I would take the bus over this any day of the week. Another great part of my job is also being able to converse with Fancy Kristen almost daily (if she can pencil me in, of course). One of the first conversations we ever had was regarding the NYC buses. She had never ridden one, ever. I was baffled! Why? Why would you never ride the greatest and only working mode of transportation this fair city offers? Is it because only old people and derelicts ride it? Not true! I also ride it. And I am neither an old person, nor derelict. I am a civilized, upstanding citizen, who pays his taxes and has never been convicted of any major felonies. You see, I find the bus fantastic for these reasons: It is air- conditioned properly, and most of the time empty. Thus you get a seat. Also you don’t have to worry about hipsters or jackasses who bring their bikes on, because the bus driver isn’t having any of that shit. You might be thinking “Hey Adam, doesn’t the traffic suck in NYC though? Wouldn’t the bus be way slower?” Well, you would be right. The traffic does suck. It sucks so bad the man is thinking of adding even MORE tolls to our already expensive city. But, I have a question to answer your question. Would you rather spend 4. Possibly having to claw your way out? Or, would you be enjoying the views of Manhattan, knowing you might be a little delayed because of traffic, but sitting in a roomy bus? If you think about it, it’s kind of like a shared limo—just without the mood lighting, and everyone’s as drunk as you were at prom, just during the middle of a weekday. But still! The bus also has far more routes than the subway. I mean, you can actually get to different parts of Brooklyn from Queens. Also the Q7. 0 from Roosevelt Ave. La. Guardia airport in like, literally 1. Can the subway do that? Of course not. And rats will only seek to remind you of the failure of the American Dream. But on the bus, you can look out and see the beautiful city and a brilliant people, rising from this abyss. It was scarcely two years ago that that the world turned its attention toward Pizza Rat, the…Read more All these years, I bet you’ve been looking on your phone to map a subway route, only to abandon the fastest one when you see bus travel is involved. This is a mistake! Embrace the bus. So mark my words, friends. While you are all sweating and cursing the horrid subway service, I will be sitting, riding on the golden chariot of the MTA bus line. Joined by my dear friends, the old people and the derelicts.
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