The HIPAA Privacy Rule comprises a comprehensive set of privacy standards that restricts the use of a patient’s health information (PHI) and any other identifying information by covered entities and business associates without express authorization.
Moreover, the HIPAA Privacy Rule grants individuals the right to control how their health information is used and disclosed. Consequently, patients can visit a covered entity to request copies of their information and ask for corrections in case of omissions or errors.
Understanding Private Health Information
An individual’s private health information is any information that relates to their past, present, or future physical or mental health condition, how the condition was treated, and information detailing the payment for treatment. Conducting a security risk assessment on this data is crucial to ensure its confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
In short, private health information relates to an individual’s:
- Physical or mental health condition that took them to the doctor’s office.
- Treatments given for the condition.
- The payments made for these treatments.
Exploring the Objectives of the HIPAA Privacy Rule
The HIPAA Privacy Rule was introduced to prevent the potential risks of improper use and subsequent exploitation of sensitive health data, especially with the widespread use of digital technologies. The rule intends to bring about sanity in the use of private health information. Digital technologies have made the storage, access, and sharing of health data an effortless reality, and some standards were necessary to protect patients’ private information.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule is also part of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Regulations. These regulations were developed with the goal of encouraging covered entities to develop a health information system by establishing standards and requirements that guide the transmission of health information using digital technologies.
Part of the purpose of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, in conjunction with the HIPAA Security Rule, is to standardize transactions between health plans and healthcare providers, ensuring that these transactions occur in an environment defined by integrity and confidentiality. The result is that a patient’s health information is safe from anticipated threats and is not used or disclosed by unauthorized entities. With respect to the HIPAA Privacy Rule:
- Any individual who is a subject of individually identifiable health information enjoys certain rights.
- There are specific procedures that a covered entity must follow in order to exercise an individual’s rights.
- Requires covered entities to first obtain authorization from a patient before using or disclosing their private health information.
Enhance Your Compliance
The HIPAA Privacy Rule sets rigorous standards for the use or disclosure of a patient’s private health information. Non-compliance can lead to substantial fines and penalties for covered entities. At ComplyAssistant, our advanced HIPAA compliance software is designed to ensure your organization meets these regulations effectively, safeguarding against potential breaches and compliance issues.