What Is HIPAA?
HIPAA is the United States Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. There are two sections to the Act. HIPAA Title I deals with protecting health insurance coverage for people who lose or change jobs. HIPAA Title II includes an administrative simplification section which deals with the standardization of healthcare-related information systems. This section is what most people mean when they refer to HIPAA.
HIPAA establishes 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.
HIPAA In Livingston County
Livingston County is a hybrid covered entity. This means that HIPAA only applies to parts of the county, but not all of it. The covered components of the county include:
- Livingston County Health Department (Personal Health Division but excluding the Environmental Health Division)
- Livingston County Emergency Medical Services Department
- Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Jail Division
- Livingston County Human Resources Department (Employee Health Benefits)
- Livingston County Information Technology Department
- Livingston County Dispatch Center, to the extent that it transmits PHI to and receives PHI from Livingston County Emergency Medical Services Department
HIPAA uses a cadre of privacy officers to help implement its requirements. These include a Privacy Officer and a Security Officer as countywide points of contact and individual Privacy and Security Officials for the covered components. HIPAA is implemented through a combination of board policies and department procedures.
More Information about HIPAA in Livingston County: