Essay on Reasons as to Why the HIPAA was Deemed Necessary in the Mid-1990s

Introduction

In the early 1990's, the healthcare industry was rampantly computerizing its medical records. The main reason was that of computerization of medical records was a more efficient approach (Nass, Levit, & Gostin, 2009). The congress noted that the continuous advancement in electronic technology was likely to endanger the privacy of medical information. The top priority of any organization that provides health services is patients. Notably, the government needed a way to protect the patients' right to medical privacy. Considering the rapid expansion in electronic transmission of medical information, the Congress developed national security protocols to standardize and safeguard the use of the service. The policies were stipulated in measures of regulating the management of healthcare data. It also created privacy standards to protect health information. The policies and regulations were incorporated into the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

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Pre-existing Conditions

Employees and other unemployed people had medical insurance coverage from health insurance companies that only ranged from 12 to 18 months before acquiring an illness. Consequently, residents had complained about the restrictions of group health plans (Solove, 2013). Enacting the HIPPA policy would ensure that individuals who would have purchased insurance are covered in the inclusion of the time when they will be looking for jobs. The period was specified in the creditable coverage span.

Holes in the System and Their Impact

The main holes in the system are abuse and scams in healthcare industries and medical insurance. Abuse manifests in regards to peoples' information. Sometimes, there are violations of the HIPPA act when medical data is exposed to unauthorized persons. Medical data can also land in the hands of unauthorized persons through hacking. Malicious people over the internet tend to look for ways of exploiting personal information from medical records. Another area that confuses the implementation of HIPPA is appropriate access to health data (Solove, 2013). The impact of the problem is the denial of access for patients and caregivers who have a right of access to information. The problems occur in the name of privacy. HIPPA is sometimes misinterpreted that the level of privacy that patients enjoy in the doctor's office is extended to their health records or medical apps. Also, issues related to data sharing are created in the process. Sometimes, HIM professionals face problems in regards to balancing peoples' right to privacy with requests to release healthcare information to other people (Walker, 2005). The issue creates misunderstandings about collected health data. However, it is essential to understand that it is maintained for both patients and providers of health care.

References

Nass, S., Levit, L. & Gostin, L. (2009). Beyond the HIPAA Privacy Rule: Enhancing Privacy, Improving Health Through Research. National Academy of Sciences.

Solove, D. (2013). HIPAA Mighty and Flawed: Regulation has Wide-Reaching Impact on the Healthcare Industry. Journal of AHIMA, 84(4), 30-31.

Walker, D. (2005). Impact of the HIPAA Privacy Rule on health services research. Philadelphia, PA: Abt Associates, Inc.