Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
The Healt The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Nicole R. ... Deborah Proctor HIPAA is the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, legalized with prevalent support from the health care industry. President Clinton signed the Portability act in 1996. The law is intended to reduce barriers for individuals when obtaining new health insurance coverage whether through a new employer or an individual plan. This act covers health plans with at least two participants who are active employees of single employers, multi-employers, collective bargaining units, churches or govermental employers though state and local government employers can elect not to have their health plans under the law on year to year basis. ... HIPAA Administrative Simplification is achieved through federal regulations issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. Its intent is to decrease the costs of the administration of health care by advocating increased automation of billing and other transactions. ... At the center are standards for the content and format of electronic transactions used in billing, payment and other health care administrative functions. ... There is another set of regulations that will provide nationwide, standard identifiers for providers, health plans and employers and a final regulation will cover enforcement of these rules. ... Health plans are generally defined as any individual or group plan that provides or pays for medical care.