Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Guiding Complaint Handling

Introduction

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is one of the many medical acts in the United States. The act was adopted in 1996 and subdivided into two sections: privacy and security rules. The primary rule section ensures that people’s medical records and their other personal information are protected.

On the other hand, the security rule segment was modified in 2009 to address consumer complaints and improve its access (Theodos & Sittig, 2021). Through the modification, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) director was tasked with enforcing the security rule under the act. This modification led to an improvement in the act, ensuring the security of health information.

Filing Complaints Under HIPAA

The act empowers citizens to file complaints relating to their privacy. While filling out the complaints, key sections of the form require critical attention. For instance, when filing complaints related to a student’s medical privacy, the person filing the complaint form must be specific in describing the security or privacy issue. This is because this section has precise information that will enable the OCR to investigate the complaint effectively.

The issues may include the date, time, incident, and nature of the privacy breach (Solove & Hartzog, 2022). The person filing the complaint should also clearly indicate the parties involved in the incident that led to the privacy breach. This may include the names of individuals who accessed the file without authorization.

Conclusion

In summary, the investigation clearly shows that filing complaints can be easier. Still, it can be challenging if various sections, such as the description of the incidence section of the form, are not correctly marked; this might derail the investigation. An incomplete or unclear complaint form may result in a delayed response. This is due to delays in processing the form, as the OCR may be forced to seek clarification or additional information.

References

Solove, D. J., & Hartzog, W. (2022). Breached! Why data security law fails and how to improve it. Oxford University Press.

Theodos, K., & Sittig, S. (2021). Health information privacy laws in the digital age: HIPAA doesn’t apply. Perspectives in Health Information Management, 18. Web.