Press Release

Primer: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Many have invoked the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 recently around vaccination inquiries, but these calls demonstrate a misunderstanding of the law’s coverage and purpose. In a new primer, AAF’s Christopher Holt and Jake Griffin outline the purpose and development of the law and its regulations. While HIPAA has developed into the regulatory framework protecting health information, it only applies to specified covered entities and business associates that work with protected health informationHolt and Griffin explain. 

Holt and Griffin conclude

Congress originally created HIPAA to help better regulate health insurance and make the flow of health care information more efficient. With additional amendments over the years, HIPAA has become the centerpiece of regulation dictating how PHI is to be maintained by covered entities and business associates in order to prevent health care fraud and theft. As technology continues to develop, additional changes to HIPAA will need to occur in tandem to maintain these protections.

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