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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a 1996 federal law with far-reaching effects. The primary objective of the legislation is to ensure health insurance portability, reduce health care fraud and abuse, enforce standards for health information, and guarantee security and privacy of health information.
A key requirement of HIPAA is to ensure the client’s right to have health information kept private and confidential. The definition of health is very broad and includes information about behavioral, medical and physical conditions.
As you probably know, there are many resources for HIPAA information. So much so it can be a little disconcerting trying to determine what is most helpful. The Oregon Department of Human Services web site ( http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/admin/hipaa/index.shtml ) is a good source of information.
If you have Protected Health Information (PHI) at your work site, here are some practical tips to keep it secure.
- Clearly label your desk garbage can "confidential" to avoid accidental disposal with regular outgoing trash.
- If you stack papers on your desk with protected health information, keep them turned over.
- Sign off or lock your workstation when you leave your desk.
- Clear protected health information from your computer screen when possible.
- Limit discussions of private information in informal settings.
- Move your fax to a safer, more secure location.
- Have a statement on your fax cover sheet that notifies the receiver that confidential information is being transmitted.
- Keep your protected health information paper files locked.
- In open offices, do not mix health information files with other files. Keep protected health information files in secure cabinets.
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