title: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996: just an incremental step in reshaping government.
abstract: In 1996, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was adopted as a step toward reshaping government health care. Referred to as the HIPAA, it enables portability of health care insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs (Title I), sets a standard or benchmark for safeguarding electronic and paper exchange of health information, and requires national identifiers for providers, health plans, and employers (Title II). The final policy implementation rule outlines the entities affected by the legislation as health care providers, health plans, health care clearinghouses, and vendors offering computer software applications to providers and those billing for health services (Health Privacy Project, 2002; Public Law 104-191 1996; Rules and Regulations, 2003; U.S. Department of Labor, 2005). Aside from the federal law, some entities and even states have set standards more stringent than those promulgated by the federal mandate (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2004; 2005a).
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Research & Innovation at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. schmeim@ccf.org
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmeida
mesh_terms: D033161:Government Regulation; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000639:trends*; D020408:Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; D006801:Humans; D007884:Legislation, Nursing / Q000639:trends; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States