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YOUR PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT As a leader on the issue of online privacy, with an absolute commitment to Member confidentiality, MedicAlert® applauds the safeguards HIPAA will provide. They are similar to our own strict standards for the management of Member-provided health care information, which we have maintained since 1956.
WHAT IS HIPAA?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") is a federal law designed to help protect your privacy and rights during the transmission of your personal medical records.
WHO MUST COMPLY WITH THESE NEW HIPAA STANDARDS?
As required by Congress in HIPAA, the Privacy Rule will covers:
- Health plans,
- Health care clearinghouses,
- Healthcare providers who conduct certain financial and administrative transactions electronically
- Government-funded healthcare programs.
MedicAlert is not one of these entities.
WHAT KIND OF PERSONAL INFORMATION DOES THE HIPAA PRIVACY RULE COVER?
The HIPAA Privacy Rule applies to protected health information. Protected health information is health information that contains personal information like a name or Social Security number that reveals who the person is.
HIPAA privacy requirements apply to protected health information in written, electronic or oral form. You could be individually identified from any of the following information:
- Name, address and phone number
- Names of relatives and employers
- Birth date
- Email addresses and fax numbers
- Social Security number
- Medical Identification Number
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