It can be a bit intimidating trying to understand new or ever changing legislation like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA. There are some part of the policy that will directly affect you and your dependents and some parts that will not.

Before you can take any action, you must first follow these five steps to understanding how HIPAA affects you directly.

-Identify and Comprehend the Different Types of Health Coverage. This step is crucial because the HIPAA laws affect each type of health coverage differently. There are three main type of health coverage available: individual health insurance, group health plans, and comparable coverage through a high risk pool (not available in all states).

-Find out the impact of Pre-exiting circumstances. Pre-existing circumstances are those that an individual was diagnosed with prior to enrolling in a health insurance plan. In the past, it was common to be denied coverage if you had any kind of pre-existing circumstance. HIPAA has helped to prevent pre-existing denials in the majority of cases. As a general rule, insurers can still deny coverage to an individual that has been diagnosed by a medical professional with a qualifying pre-existing circumstance in the six months directly prior to the enrollment day. If any conditions were medically diagnosed longer than six months prior to the enrollment date, in most cases, the health insurance provider cannot deny coverage based on a pre-existing condition.

-Find out if you can reduce the length of exclusion. If you find out you have a pre-existing circumstance that does qualify for denial or exclusion of insurance benefits, there are some steps you can take to shorten the length of time you will be denied coverage. The average length is 18 months after enrollment. For example, if you were under the coverage of another health plan while your pre-existing circumstance was diagnosed, the length of exclusion must be reduced according to HIPAA.

-Know your other coverage protections. This step will vary greatly from individual to individual because it depends greatly on each health insurance plan and specific situations. Things that will affect this your health condition, special enrollment policies particular to your plans available at work or otherwise, and your rights to enrollment and renewal of health insurance. It’s important to know your rights when it comes to your health condition. If you are enrolled in a collection health plan, according to law, you cannot be deprived of coverage for any of the following conditions: health status, mental or physical condition, claims experience, reception of health care, medical history, genetic information, evidence of insurability, or disability.

-Find out where to go for more information. Reach out to your health care provider, your health plan administrator, or public health department to find out where you can get more detailed information. They should be able to offer you resources to understanding how HIPAA affects you and your situation directly. Seek out a professional who has HIPAA certification to help you find out more.

Once you have taken these five steps, you will be well on your way to understanding how HIPAA affects you. After you have a good understanding of the law, you will be in better control of your health and health insurance coverage.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Certification website.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA Certification website at http://www.hipaaexams.com/hipaa-certification.asp

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

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: HIPAA Certification