b. HIPAA
HIPAA is the United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. It seeks to establish standardized mechanisms for electronic data interchange (EDI), security, and confidentiality of all healthcare-related data. The Act mandates: standardized formats for all patient health, administrative, and financial data; unique identifiers (ID numbers) for each healthcare entity, including individuals, employers, health plans and health care providers; and security mechanisms to ensure confidentiality and data integrity for any information that identifies an individual.
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Tip: What's the prognosis on HIPAA?
Tip: Hospital seeks second backup opinion
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This was first published in January 2004