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| Annual Performance Measures About HIPAA at DHS The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the first comprehensive federal protection of individual privacy. The U.S. Congress passed the act in 1996. It also sets national standards to protect personal health information, reduces health care fraud and waste through standardized electronic transactions and codes, and makes health coverage more portable. Prior to HIPAA implementation in 2003, consumers' health records were vulnerable to access without their knowledge, making this personal information not as safe and secure as it should be. Thus, the changes required by HIPAA impact the entire health care industry including health plans, hospitals, clearinghouses, and government agencies - like DHS - among others. While DHS has long been committed to protecting client confidentiality, HIPAA provides an opportunity to improve procedures and coordinate policies across the department. The DHS Office of Information Security/Privacy continues to monitor and address HIPAA privacy and security rule compliance. The DHS HIPAA Project Office is responsible for implementing standardized electronic health care transactions and codes. | |
