HIPAA

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

HIPAA is Federal legislation that was made law by Congress in 1996. With all the advancements in electronic technology, Congress recognized the need for Federal privacy protections of individually identifiable health information and therefore has mandated privacy protections.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule, effective April 14, 2003, is aimed at safeguarding the privacy of our residents through increased accountability in the areas of privacy and security. The Privacy Rule establishes for the first time, a foundation for Federal protections for the privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI). The HIPAA Security Rule, effective April 20, 2005, becomes more specific and calls for protection of PHI in electronic formats.

Compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule is required for certain Kingston HealthCare communities and offices because they transmit resident health information electronically related to health care claims, payment or coordination of benefits. If you have any questions regarding a community and its applicability under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, please contact the Kingston HealthCare Company Home Office at 419-247-2880.