Why Is Hippa Important

HIPPA Regulations The agency of the case manager, is required to follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) by law. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services enacted HIPPA regulations in 1996. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2016), HIPPA provides rules and regulation on the disclosure, privacy, and security of individually identifiable health information and individual health records. Individually identifiable health information includes an individual’s mental health status, type of care provided, and payment for services (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). The policy sets rules and regulations of when and to whom the information can be disclosed. HIPPA is meant to restrict the sharing of patient information and give patients more control over their medical records. Information can only be disclosed to the individual, for research, for payment purposes, and for incidents that otherwise permitted use and disclosure without the individual’s authorization (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). When required by law, court order, regulations, and state statutes patient identifying information can be shared with the appropriate agencies (U.S. Department of Health & Human …show more content…
Information can be released when the state mandates child abuse and neglect reporting when there is a valid court order, and when reporting the cause of death (Kunkel, 2012). Client identifying information also can be disclosed during a medical emergency, when reporting crimes that occur at the agency, and to people holding a power of attorney for the patient (Kunkel, 2012). According to the Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration (2015), reports can be made to law enforcement if there is an immediate threat to the health or safety of the public or individual only if the patient-identifying information is not