Employee Safety, Health, and Welfare Law Paper
April 30, 2006
Introduction
In the ever changing world of technology lawmakers are tasked with keeping up with the times. The electronic revolution has changed the way nearly everything is looked at and done. Health insurance and medical protocol and procedures have been streamlined by the internet and digitization of data and data transfer. Records that allow doctors to know and recognize preexisting conditions and relative information can be accessed immediately and allow faster diagnoses and treatment. It also provides a quicker approval of needed testing and procedures by heath care management companies so patients get what they need faster. All of the advantages provided by the advancement in the industry also bring to the table new problems and risks. In response to these the government acted to resolve issues and provide greater protection for the American people by passing HIPAA.
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law originally passed in 1996. It was designed to reform the health insurance system in the United States and simplify administrative processes within the health care industry. Along the way other provisions were added relating to privacy and security. The Department of Public Health and Human Services' first passage of the legislation was aimed at streamlining health care administration by mandating standards in the processing, maintaining and transferring patient data.
The department also recognized that greater privacy and control of the data held by the various organizations must be established. As healthcare becomes digitized and transferred electronically the potential fo ...