Changes

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), also known as the Kassebaum-Kennedy or Kennedy-Kassebaum Act, was passed in 1996 for the stated goal of allowing employees to continue with their employer-based health insurance after a change in jobs ("portability") and to reduced alleged health care fraud and waste ("accountability").<ref>[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=104_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ191.104.pdf Public Law 104-191].</ref>

The '''Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act''' of 1996 (HIPAA), also known as the Kassebaum-Kennedy or Kennedy-Kassebaum Act, was passed in 1996 for the stated goal of allowing [[employee]]s to continue with their employer-based health insurance after a change in jobs ("portability") and to reduced alleged health care fraud and waste ("accountability").<ref>[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=104_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ191.104.pdf Public Law 104-191].</ref>

In fact, HIPAA enacted sweeping changes that enabled federal regulators to establish standards for the electronic data interchange (EDI) of health information, and to create federal jurisdiction and control over medical record privacy issues.  Regulators promulgated these rules under the name of "administrative simplification," even though the rules are extraordinarily complex.

In fact, HIPAA enacted sweeping changes that enabled [[federal]] regulators to establish standards for the [[Electronic Data Interchange|electronic data interchange]] (EDI) of health information, and to create federal jurisdiction and control over medical record privacy issues.  Regulators promulgated these rules under the name of "administrative simplification," even though the rules are extraordinarily complex.

Though not widely known, only those who engage in electronic transactions (i.e., electronic billing, authorizations, etc.) are subject to HIPAA and federal jurisdiction under HIPAA.

Though not widely known, only those who engage in electronic transactions (i.e., electronic billing, authorizations, etc.) are subject to HIPAA and federal jurisdiction under HIPAA.