Policies
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996

• Dear Colleague letter from Dr. Steve Cochi describing NIP's efforts to provide guidance on the impact of HIPAA on public health practice. NEW!
  Attachments to letter include:
  • HIPAA and Public Health Fact Sheet (same as below)
• FAQs on HIPAA and Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention NEW!
• Dear Colleague memo from Dr. Walter Orenstein describing NIP's policy for issuing future HIPAA guidance.
  Attachments to memo include:
• HIPAA and Public Health Fact Sheet
• FAQs about HIPAA and AFIX and VFC
• HIPAA as it relates to Immunization Registries
  • Immunization Registries and HIPAA
  • Resources outside of NIP
  • NIP Privacy and Confidentiality Resources

Congress called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue patient privacy protections as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). HIPAA included provisions designed to encourage electronic transactions and also required new safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of health information. The final regulation covers health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers who conduct certain financial and administrative transactions (e.g., enrollment, billing and eligibility verification) electronically. Most health insurers, pharmacies, doctors and other health care providers were required to comply with these federal standards beginning April 14, 2003. As provided by Congress, certain small health plans have an additional year to comply.

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