What is HIPAA and how it is related to medical billing?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was developed to safeguard the confidentiality of a person’s medical information and to protect individuals’ medical records and personal health-related information. It also uses safeguards to shield the privacy of health information.

Why is HIPAA important in medical billing and coding?

HIPAA is important because it ensures healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and business associates of HIPAA-covered entities must implement multiple safeguards to protect sensitive personal and health information.

Is billing information is protected under HIPAA?

Answer: Yes. The Privacy Rule permits a covered entity, or a business associate acting on behalf of a covered entity (e.g., a collection agency), to disclose protected health information as necessary to obtain payment for health care, and does not limit to whom such a disclosure may be made.

Who has to follow Hippa?

Who Must Follow These Laws. We call the entities that must follow the HIPAA regulations “covered entities.” Covered entities include: Health Plans, including health insurance companies, HMOs, company health plans, and certain government programs that pay for health care, such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Does HIPAA apply to billing?

In this case, all the HIPAA rules apply. HIPAA does not apply if electronic billing does not take place. Student receives health services in a hospital affiliated with a university subject to FERPA. The hospital records would fall under HIPAA for protection and access.

Does Hippa apply to medical collections?

However, HIPPA laws do not allow the medical records to be submitted to a collection agency. The services a patient received are private, and those records may not be disclosed to a collection agency. The same laws that apply to disputing credit cards and revolving accounts under the Fair Credit Billing Act do not apply to medical bills.

Is a medical bill protected under HIPPA and HAV?

Unpaid Medical Bills – Medical Collections under HIPAA HIPAA may protect you when it comes to unpaid medical bills. The HIPAA law protects patient privacy and that includes third party debt collectors accessing your information.

What does HIPAA mean in the medical office?

HIPAA: Acronym that stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a US law designed to provide privacy standards to protect patients’ medical records and other health information provided to health plans, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. Developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, these new standards provide patients with access to their medical records and more control over how their personal health information is used and disclosed.