HIPAA/HITECH

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was created to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care systems. All health care providers who submit claims electronically are required to comply with HIPAA rules that mandate compliance in three key areas: (1) privacy; (2) security; and (3) electronic transactions.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) was signed into law on February 17, 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Act was created to motivate health care providers to adopt the use of electronic health records (EHRs) and supporting technology. HITECH introduced financial incentives to encourage providers to switch from paper to electronic records and tougher penalties for HIPAA compliance violation. It also mandated security audits.

Young Moore’s health care team represents health care providers, including hospitals, long term care facilities, home health agencies, specialty hospitals, physicians, and physician practices, in a variety of health care matters including HIPAA, HITECH, and other federal and state privacy and security related matters. Our attorneys are experienced in working with clients to resolve compliance issues, creating and implementing policies and procedures, and assessing risk.