The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 is a public law passed by Congress. The basics of HIPPA are to improve the portability plus the continuity of health insurance coverage. This includes both the individual market and in a group situation.

-Portability as definite in HIPAA laws is the ability for those with preexisting condition to get health coverage without lapse in benefits. There were group health plans years ago that denied or limited coverage if a new employee had a condition that was being treated under an old plant. HIPAA does not allow this to happen.

Specifically if you have suffered from medicals conditions for many years, but have not been treated in the last six months, you cannot be denied insurance coverage for that condition. If you have, however had medical advice, care or diagnosis with the past six months then you have preexisting condition exclusions.

Do note that although there may be preexisting condition exclusions, you will receive full coverage through your employers in regards to other health issues.

-HIPAA adds protections and does make it harder to have your health benefits taken away, but HIPAA does have limitations. HIPAA does not require that you are offered health coverage thought your employer. HIPAA also does not guarantee that the conditions you are now experiencing or have had in the past are covered by your new employer’s health plans. HIPAA does not stop an employer from invoking the preexisting condition exclusion period.

The portability portion of the HIPAA law does not allow employers to stop coverage for a pregnancy even if there was no coverage prior to enrolling in the new health insurance plan. Furthermore conditions present in a child under 18 or a newborn cannot be excluded from the plan if that child is enrolled in the new insurance plan within 30 days. HIPAA portability is designed to ensure that children do not have significant breaks in insurance coverage.

Generic information cannot be excluded. If a female employee has the gene indicating a risk for breast cancer, that employee cannot be denied insurance coverage on the assumption that she might contract breast cancer.

HIPAA if family members are enrolled in a company plan, these family members have the exact same protection under HIPAA laws as does the employee.

The portability laws under HIPAA were designed to combat fraud, abuse as well as waste in the health insurance industry. The administrative burdens of health care as well as reducing the costs are goals of HIPAA. By standardizing the exchange of electronic data for financial and administrative transactions, HIPAA has also created a system to protect personal health records.

To comply with HIPAA regulations health care professionals as business associates must undergo HIPAA training. Included in The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 are the health care regulations, privacy rules as well as security rules. You also need to be aware of HIPAA implementation, how portability applies and have an understanding of enforcement rules. It is also wise to understand the penalties for disallowing the rules and procedures.

For more information, please visit our hipaa training website.

For more information, please visit our hipaa training website http://web.sba.gov/cgi-bin/closeme.pl?TO=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hipaaexams.com

Author Bio: For more information, please visit our hipaa training website.

Category: Education
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