The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA – Public Law 104-191) gives individuals certain rights concerning their health information, sets boundaries on how it is used, establishes formal safeguards and holds violators accountable. HIPAA requires that healthcare workers never release personal health information to anyone who does not have a need to know. This regulation became effective April 14, 2003.
For more information, please visit the HIPAA section of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HIPAAGenInfo.
