Question

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act not only aids in the reduction of fraud in the insurance industry but also?

1) Prevents insurability of individuals with certain long-term diseases.
2) Protects personal medical privacy.
3) Prevents clients from having access to their medical records belonging to hospitals and certain clinics.
4) Protects the medical records from clients attempting to correct their records.

Answer 1

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) primarily serves to protect personal medical privacy by maintaining strict confidentiality of patient records and preventing unauthorized release of identifiable health information.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), enacted in 1996, has a pivotal role in safeguarding patient information in the healthcare sector. One of its main protections is to ensure the privacy of personal medical records. As such, HIPAA does not prevent insurability based on long-term diseases, nor does it prevent clients from accessing their own medical records. Instead, it primarily protects personal medical privacy by setting standards for maintaining the confidentiality of patient information and preventing the unauthorized release of identifiable health information to entities not involved in providing healthcare to the patient. Additionally, through subsequent legislation, such as the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), HIPAA also contributes to the prevention of discrimination based on genetic information by insurers and employers.