Releasing Protected Health Information
Rebecca Bratcher
HCR/210
07/18/12

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability act of 1996 or HIPAA, was put in place as an attempt to reform health care during the Clinton administration by making it possible for workers, of any profession, to change jobs regardless if the worker, or any member of their family, have a pre-existing medical condition, decreasing paperwork which is associated with the processing of health claims, and by reducing health care abuse and fraud, and by assuring the privacy and security of health information. HIPAA’s standards for privacy of individually identifiable health information or privacy rule includes restrictions which protect the …show more content…

Employers also have to get the authorization from the person but not in cases of work-related injuries or illness translation the reporting of them. The health care provider’s attorney is obligated to get the permission from the patient except for the care that comes directly from the care giver. The IRS, (or Internal revenue service) along with law enforcement agencies, has to receive consent from the patient for the disclosure of PHI. The patient or the person her represents them has to obtain permission as well to release PHI unless it is a situation where no permission is required by HIPPA. Most of the patients must give authorization if the information is needed by a third party except in the cases of treatment, payment and any health care operations.
Most of the providers allow medical professionals who are working on clinical research have access to the patients’ records. They may also exchange such information with other researchers. The activities have to be approved by the Institutional Review board so the PHI can be received by the research group without the patient’s authorization. That is if the researcher actually includes treating the patient, authorization is required, unless the person is directly involved in the care.
Patients do not have the right to access their PHI for verification of information and keeping a copy, unless the information has been complied for use