Understanding the Difference: HIPAA vs HIPPA

Understanding the Difference: HIPAA vs HIPPA

The Spelling HIPAA or HIPPA

The valid spelling is HIPAA, not HIPPA. The misspelling of HIPPA is likely due to the common English pattern of doubling consonants in the middle of a word, such as "oppose" or "appear." However, it is important to memorize the correct spelling of HIPAA, especially when discussing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This article will address the misspelling of HIPPA and provide a brief overview of HIPAA and the Security Rule.

How to remember the Correct One (HIPAA)

One way to easily remember the correct spelling for this important compliance abbreviation is to associate it with the name of the bill: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Another method is to break the abbreviation HIPAA into hip + AA, and think of it as a trendy sobriety meeting. To avoid any confusion with the word "hippo," you can also think of HIPAA compliance as being more akin to a cool anonymous support group rather than a safari.

Okay, but what is HIPPA Compliance (the misspelled version)

To repeat, the primary concern for healthcare compliance is HIPAA compliance. When a user searches for HIPPA, they will be redirected to HIPAA search results. If someone insists on knowing what “HIPPA compliance” is, the most accurate response would be that it pertains to following the rules and guidelines of a decapod crustacean from the family Hippidae. Being Hippa-compliant would mean abiding by the instructions of a Hippa admirabilis, simply because of the noble name. It is important to clarify that HIPPA or Hippa compliance is not a concern for any legitimate business, while HIPAA compliance is.

The definition of HIPAA

HIPAA, which stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is a US law intended to protect individuals' healthcare information by enforcing security and privacy regulations for electronic records. Although not widely acknowledged, it has attracted notice for its involvement in significant healthcare data breaches.

Five Titles of HIPAA

Title 1 – This provision of the legislation facilitated the ability to transfer and maintain health insurance (whether individual or group) through amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (IRC), Public Health Service Act (PHSA), and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). It includes provisions that prohibit discrimination through benefit limitations for particular treatments or illnesses and the imposition of lifetime maximums unless these restrictions apply universally to individuals in similar situations (as opposed to singling out those with specific health conditions). The amount of time that a health plan or insurance carrier can exclude coverage of a preexisting condition is reduced within Title I; plus, it makes it possible to take “creditable coverage,” coverage on a previous health plan, and use it to further lower the time before acceptance of those conditions. Finally, when anyone is dropped from insurance because of losing a job, or in the event of death or divorce, Title I provides special ways for those people to enroll.

Title II of this law revises the federal criminal code and Social Security Act to decrease abuse, waste, and fraud in healthcare systems, and to streamline healthcare administration. This portion of the legislation is made up of seven subtitles.

Title III of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) has been amended to incorporate provisions regarding the classification of long-term care as a medical service, restrictions on healthcare expenses from pre-tax health savings accounts, and tax benefits associated with health insurance

Title IV amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) and IRC to enforce the regulations outlined in Title I concerning the retention of insurance and treatment of preexisting conditions.

Title V includes modifications to tax deductions for corporate-owned life insurance, changes to income tax regulations following the loss of US citizenship, and the elimination of the financial institution rule regarding interest allocation within the IRC.

The Privacy Rule and Security Rule, which are part of Title II, are fundamental components of HIPAA. The Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect different categories of health information, whereas the Security Rule sets guidelines for the electronic storage or transmission of certain types of health data. In essence, the Privacy Rule ensures individual confidentiality, while the Security Rule delineates precise measures, both technical and non-technical, that healthcare providers and other entities managing health information must follow. The Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is tasked with enforcing regulations and levying substantial penalties on businesses that fail to comply. To adequately safeguard electronic protected health information (ePHI), the Security Rule mandates the adoption of specific physical, technical, and administrative protections. Since the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), both covered entities and their business associates are obligated to adhere to the four core Security Rule requirements established by the HHS:

1. The organization must prioritize the confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility of all health data.

2. It is crucial for organizations to remain alert in detecting any potential threats and establishing appropriate defenses in order to mitigate risks.

3. It is essential for an organization to adhere to HIPAA regulations by implementing measures to reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access and improper use of sensitive data.

4. Employees must undergo training to ensure compliance with regulations, comprehend their duties in avoiding infractions, and safeguard the confidentiality and security of data.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between HIPAA and HIPPA is crucial for compliance with regulations and safeguarding patient information. Healthcare organizations must take key steps such as ensuring accurate spelling, clarifying HIPAA rules, and choosing a HIPAA-compliant hosting service to effectively manage healthcare data security and maintain patient privacy.