The newly enacted Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

The newly enacted Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 2003 re-quires:

1. Insurance coverage for all clients
2. Policies on how to report communicable diseases
3. Limits on information and damages awarded in court cases
4. Safeguards to protect written and verbal information about clients

ANSWER

ANS: 4
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires all hospitals and health agencies to have specific policies and procedures in place to ensure that there are reasona-ble safeguards to protect written and verbal communications about clients. HIPAA does not re-quire insurance coverage for all clients. It limits the extent to which health plans may impose preexisting condition limitations and prohibits discrimination in health plans against individual participants and beneficiaries based on health status. HIPAA does not require policies on how to report communicable diseases. It does require safeguards to protect written and verbal infor-mation about clients. HIPAA does not require limits on information and damages awarded in court cases.