How HIPPA Violations Affect the Medical Billing Process
Ronnie Ward
HCR/220
02/12/2012
Regina Kraus

How HIPPA Violations Affect the Medical Billing Process

Through making sure that a patient demographics are accurate and kept confidential HIPPA is able to affect the medical billing process, this authorization which allows a practice to use the confidential information and to bill that patient information to carriers for services should be placed in the patient file. When pertaining to people infected with this deadly and sometimes fatal disease or virus, AIDS and HIV can be a very touching and secretive issue. This is mostly because those who are affected with the disease are fearful of a breach in confidentiality. The patient fear can directly affect his or her health because the patient will not be seeking medical treatment for his or her illness. HIPPA is an organization charged with the responsibility of making sure patient confidentiality is upheld and that the services he or she is receiving is protected. Because of the patient fear of breach in confidentiality, HIPPA has set rules and regulations in place with criminal and civil penalties for those who violate the patient rights and to ensure that his or her right to confidentiality is protected. Patients who are affected with HIV and AIDS information is not separately addressed by HIPPA, never-the-less general guidelines pertaining to the release of personal health information including the HIV status of a patient, is still protected according to HIPPA rules and regulations on patient confidentiality. In an effort to ensure that patient confidentiality is upheld advocates are encouraging patients to embrace to opportunity to exercise this as a means of talking with his or her healthcare provider about patient information confidentiality and to see if the information is shared with others, and if