WHAT IS HIPAA?

HIPAA is an abbreviation that stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. A major component of HIPAA addresses the privacy of individuals’ health information by establishing a nation-wide federal standard concerning the privacy of health information and how it can be used and disclosed. This federal standard will generally preempt all state privacy laws except for those that establish stronger protections. The HIPAA privacy laws are effective April 14, 2003.

Generally, HIPAA “covered entities” are required to comply with HIPAA rules for any health or medical information of identifiable individuals, including their medical records, medical billing records, any clinical or research databases, and tissue bank samples. Covered entities are health care providers, health plans, and healthcare clearing houses. The covered units will, generally, not be able to communicate or transfer protected health information to the non-covered units without violating HIPAA.

Essentially, a HIPAA covered entity cannot use or disclose protected health information for any purpose other than treatment, payment, or health care operations without either the authorization of the individual or under an exception in the HIPAA regulations.

We Pledge to Protect Your Privacy

In compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, NeuroMatrix®, a “covered entity” under HIPAA, is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information.