Dentists are covered entities as specified by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) if they transmit and safeguard patient information electronically. HIPAA became a federal law in 1996 and after various changes it finally became complete in 2003. The confidential medical information of patients is safeguarded and protected by HIPAA and all covered entities (health care service providers and insurance companies) would need to ensure that the protected information of patients is safe and secure.

6 Issues That You Need To Know About HIPAA Dental Regulations

1. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protect any treatment plan that a dentist discusses with a patient. The dentist will not be permitted to discuss the treatment plan of the patient with another dentist. However there can be exemptions in certain cases. For instance if the dentist is not able to provide the treatment required by the patient they are allowed to discuss the treatment process with another dentist who would be able to provide the same.

2. The patient can request the dentist to send their dental records and also make any changes if necessary. It is important to ensure that the changes that are requested to be made by the patient are accurate. The dentist could refuse access of dental records by the patient if they suspect that the information that has been provided by them is false.

3. The privacy policies of the dental clinic must be in accordance with the rules and regulations of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Patients must be informed that all HIPAA rules and regulations are complied with and they can also be provided with a form that will list the various details of compliance.

4. The dentist must also ensure that all staff who work with them are also adequately trained in the various provisions of HIPAA and this will ensure that the protected information of patients is safe.

5. If the dental records of the patient are to be used for any other purpose apart from treatment the dentist would need to take written permission from the patient. The authorization can be for a specific period of time and it must also state how the protected information is to be used.

6. If any dentist unintentionally or intentionally accessed the dental records of patients in an unauthorized way they can be penalized as per the provisions of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

The penalties can be both civil and criminal with fines and imprisonment depending on the nature of the offence. The fines for the violation can start from $100 per violation and are subject to maximum limits. The imprisonment can also vary from one year to ten years depending on the nature of the violation.

Any individual whose dental records have been wrongly accessed by the dentist can file a complaint to United States department of Health and Human Services. All the privacy guidelines that are stipulated by HIPAA would need to be followed and this will ensure that there is no violation.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Privacy Rule website.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Privacy Rule website http://www.hipaaprivacyrule.com

Author Bio: For more information, please visit our HIPAA Privacy Rule website.

Category: Medical Business
Keywords: health care organizations ,HIPAA,Health Insurance ,HIPAA Compliant,HIPAA Penalties ,HIPAA act