There has been an issue with the privacy of medical information. Patient’s information was accessible to employers in some cases, and also to people issuing loans to these individuals. Patients reveal intimate details in confidence to their health care providers, which were normally stored in locked file cabinets, and on shelves in medical records department, now records are stored in data files and may be seen by hundreds of strangers in health service, insurance companies and any organization affiliated with health service. HIPPA Privacy Rule made it possible for all patients to see, copy and request to amend their own medical records. It provides federal protection for patient’s health information. With the Privacy Rule patients must be notify about who their medical information is disclosed to. Patients can also find out who access their medical records for the prior six years. Under the HIPPA Privacy Rule only minimum information should be disclosed to accomplish the intended purpose and a complaint can be filed if there is a violation of privacy. The Privacy Rule only applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and to any health care provider who transmits health information in electronic form in connection with transactions for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services has adopted standards under HIPAA.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, was enacted on August 21, 1996. Sections 261 through 264 of HIPAA require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publicize standards for the electronic exchange, privacy and security of health information. The Privacy Rule set a national standard for the protection of certain health information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the Privacy Rule to implement the requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The