Medical assistants often handle office management tasks, including patient relations, record keeping and insurance billing. In this capacity, a medical assistant is certain to encounter HIPAA and its various requirements.
Just what is HIPAA, and how does it affect operations in a physician's office? If you are studying to be a medical assistant or are thinking about a medical assisting career, here are some things about HIPAA you need to know.
- Passed in 1996, HIPAA stands for "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act." The Act has two main parts. The first, the "portability" part, helps Americans take their health insurance from job to job. The second, the "accountability" part, is designed to enhance the confidentiality and privacy of personal medical records. And this second part is the one with which medical assistants need to be the most familiar.
- HIPAA sets national standards for accessing and handling medical records. Although individual states can impose tougher restrictions, they cannot take any protections away. As a medical assistant, you need to become intimately familiar with all the rules and regulations HIPAA establishes regarding how to handle medical records and know how to put these regulations into everyday practice.
- Under HIPAA rules, patients have a right to get copies of their medical records, can request an accounting of those with whom their records have been shared, and can file a formal complaint if they feel their privacy has been violated. As a medical assistant, you may need to explain these rights to patients and to respond to requests for records, external communications, etc.
- HIPAA requires that health care facilities, including physician's offices, train staff members on its regulations, appoint a "privacy offer" and establish formal safeguards to ensure privacy rules are enforced. As a medical assistant, you may be asked to assume some or many of these responsibilities.
Like all information, medical records can be a valuable asset if used properly, or can cause serious damage if abused. When you become a medical assistant you need to be very careful that your patients' rights are respected and laws are strictly followed. By following HIPAA rules, you can help ensure the care your office delivers is not compromised by outside factors.
Professional Medical Assisting Programs at Everest College
Are you interested in a career in the fast-growing and exciting health care field? Programs that help you qualify for a variety of entry-level positions are available now at Everest . For more information, please contact Everest today!
