HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is very important for health workers and providers to understand and becomes familiar with this term because it is important for patients and it is also widely used. This insurance act works not just for patients but also for their families. When patients loose their jobs or find a new work because they cannot work for the same company anymore because of health reasons, HIPAA should be there to help them with their privacy protection and health information as well.

This insurance act will work as a shield to patients to decrease their health insurance risks and it also gives penalties to insurance companies that will commit offenses. It is vital for you to know your rights regarding your medical records, your health coverage’s and why you will be denied because of the pre-existing conations. Here are some important things you need to know regarding HIPAA:

1. Your right about your medical records – every patient has the right to know his/her electronic medical records. The HIPAA laws governed health companies to let their patients know about their medical condition because it is their right to know what is truly happening to their body. You should be given a copy of the HIPAA policies and you need to sign it as a proof that you have been informed about this.

2. Your rights for your health coverage – every patient have the right to have his/her own insurance and to maintain it for the rest of his/her life depending on the preference. The HIPAA laws once said and mandated that every employee should have and maintain insurance regardless if he/she will be transferring for a new job or employer. Before this law was mandated, when an employer fired a worker, automatically the insurance is also being cut. This law means a lot for ordinary individuals.

3. Denial during a Pre-Existing Condition – a lot of times, people who are applying for an insurance coverage will be denied due to Pre-existing conditions but that was before the HIPAA was mandated and became a law. Now, any employee regardless with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied to have insurance.

A lot of people and patients are enjoying the protection HIPAA compliance provides them because with this law, they are given enough protection and privacy that they need. You don’t have to become a celebrity or a royalty just to be protected absolutely because with the HIPAA, you will be treated nicely and fair.