Portability and Accountability Act - Free Essay Example

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Pros of HIPPA: 1) Allows patients legal rights to see, copy, and correct their personal medical information. 2) Prevents employers from accessing and using personal health information to make employment decisions. 3) It enables patients with pre-existing conditions to change jobs without worrying that their medical conditions would not be covered under a new employer’s health plan. Cons of HIPPA: ) The regulations of HIPAA have increased the paperwork burden for doctors tremendously, according to the American Medical Association. 2) Some physician’s offices now refuse to mail test results; instead they are saying that patients need to pick them up in person. 3) Some hospitals require physicians to submit written requests on their own letterhead for information on a patient’s condition, when the law allows this information to be provided by phone. I think HIPPA is a good thing concerning the privacy of th e patients’ medical records. The privacy of a patient’s medical record is vitally important. A patient’s medical should always be kept in strict confidentiality, giving information to only the ones the patient agrees to. I would change that a patient has to pick up his medical records in person to being able to mail the records to the patient’s specialists’ or whom it may concern as far as the patient’s doctors, but not to the general public. I think if I did this it would change or eliminate some of the negative aspects concerning HIPAA.