IQ Fifty Plus Guide

Privacy Issues

Health Care and Insurance

Medical Privacy Resources from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse include fact sheets and other articles.

HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act which was passed by Congress in 1996. The privacy provisions of HIPPA, called the HIPAA Privacy Rule, apply to health information created or maintained by health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers who engage in certain electronic transactions. These resources provide more details about what the HIPAA Privacy Rule does and doesn’t cover.

• HIPAA Basics: Medical Privacy in the Electronic Age from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse—This fact sheet explains the complex provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. It covers the high and low points regarding an individual’s health privacy.
• How Private is My Medical Information? from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse—This fact sheet provides information on medical records not covered by the HIPAA privacy rule.
• Consumer Focus: Are Your Health Records an Open Book? from the Federal Citizen Information Center—Provides a description of HIPAA as well as other information about health records.
• HIPAA Medical Privacy from the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services—This site has fact sheets, general background information on the Privacy Rule, and HIPAA Regulations and Standards.

myPHR.com provides a guide to understanding and managing your personal health information. This is an information site provided by the American Health Information Management Association.

Sensitive Information: Privacy and Your Medical Records from Consumer Action describes the privacy of your medical records, examples of what could happen if your information got out, what’s in your medical records, laws that protect medical record privacy, and what you can do to protect the accuracy and privacy of your medical records.

Tips for Avoiding Counterfeit Drugs BEWARE! and what to do if you think you’ve bought them from AARP ElderWatch.

Fraudulent Health Insurance a Growing Problem from the Better Business Bureau provides some tips to avoid becoming a victim of health insurance fraud.

IQ Fifty Plus Guide is prepared by Remar Sutton and Associates and licensed to Educators Credit Union. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.