Section 1
State the overview of HIPAA Privacy Rules The HIPAA Privacy Rule is designed to safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Rule is a set of national standards that mandates medical practices that conduct electronic transactions to protect individuals’ medical records and their personal health information. Implementing the HIPAA privacy requirements sets boundaries on the use and disclosure of health records, imparts individuals more control over their health information, and holds health care providers and their business associates accountable for establishing appropriate safeguards to protect the confidentiality of health information. The rule requires:
• Medical practices to provide a Notice of Privacy Practices that describes patients’ privacy rights and how their personal health information may be used or disclosed.
• Clear and enforceable policies and procedures,which address how the medical practice will comply with the Privacy Rule.
• Designation of a privacy official who will be chiefly responsible for developing and implementing the policies and procedures with respect to the privacy compliance.
• Adoption of a formal business associate contract, that assures a medical practice and its business partners that are hold liable for protecting the privacy of personal health information.
• Development of administrative procedures, physical safeguards, and technical safeguards to assure the security of personal health information stored and transmitted by the medical practice, which is interrelated to the Security Rule.
• Implementation of an encryption system that de-identifies individually identifiable health information.
• Establishment of minimum necessary information exchange system providing the least amount of information and removal of individually identifiable information.
• Elaborate a formal process to control