| There are many Healthcare companies providing | | | | the provisions of the Act extend to all Healthcare |
| reliable, fast and accurate MT services to | | | | providers who transmit health records in an |
| physicians, clinics and hospitals these days. HIPAA | | | | electronic format, healthcare plans, medical billing |
| (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act | | | | companies, medical transcription providers and |
| of 1996) MT services protect the privacy rights | | | | healthcare clearinghouses. The bill refers to these |
| of individuals with regard to their confidential | | | | companies/organizations as "Covered Entities". |
| medical records. Before outsourcing your | | | | Every will be affected by these regulations, |
| transcription services, check weather the | | | | impacting both consumer and healthcare service |
| providers are following HIPAA are not. | | | | providers. |
| What is HIPAA? | | | | The state regulations may differ from national |
| Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act | | | | regulations and certain states may define Medical |
| ("HIPAA"). These regulations are designed by the | | | | Transcription Services as Covered Entities. As per |
| Department Of Health And Human Services in the | | | | under the Act most MT Services and their |
| year 1996 to protect the privacy rights of | | | | employees are not considered "Covered Entities" |
| Individuals with regard to their confidential medical | | | | because medical transcription services are |
| records; it restricts the dissemination and | | | | normally regarded as "Business Associates" under |
| transmittal of personal patient information and will | | | | the Act. So be awair as this act, as the |
| dramatically affect the way healthcare information | | | | regulations of this act differ from state to state |
| is handled. | | | | and national. |
| Due to the regulation's broad crafted application, | | | | |