HIPPA is an abbreviation of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and was introduced by the congress in 1996. This rule assures that a person is given good and quality health coverage even amid jobs. As soon as a person quits a job, he looses the insurance cover completely and the new assurance company considers illness if any as pre-existing and gives a very low coverage or nothing, prior this law. For instance, consider a person who suffers from diabetes and is under medication, the new company will consider this as pre-existing and will not pay for medicines.
The main goal of HIPPA law is to make health care simpler and maintain the security of patient’s medical information. If you feel that your health care provider has breached privacy, you can certainly take it legal provided all are in records and it can be reported to the state insurance commissioner.
There are different circumstances under which the law is infringed. The health care provider or the insurance company might violate HIPPA without even knowing what it is. At times there could be a valid reason for going against the same and not due to negligence. HIPPA violation due to unruly slackness, but corrected within a period of time receives a high penalty and willful negligence not at all corrected and repeated often is given the maximum sentence. Whatever it is when there is a breach of any kind that comes under this act; record all conversation.
A case can also be filed under criminal penalty if the health care provider or the insurance company discloses your personal health information knowingly for money. Selling it to a third party for any reason or for personal gains which can cause harm is offensive. They face a fine of up to $50,000 and detention for a year, but however no private cause of action is taken against the person who disobeyed.