On the issue of online privacy, with an absolute commitment to Member confidentiality,
Vskribe applauds the safeguards HIPAA will provide. They are similar to our own strict standards for the management of Member-provided health care information.

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 does HIPAA affect?
It affects companies that store and transmit protected health information in electronic form, which includes (but is not limited to) health plans, health care clearinghouses and health care providers. These organizations are referred to as 'covered entities'.

It also applies to companies servicing customers in the health care industry and mandates that these "business associates" implement safeguards that reasonably and appropriately protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the electronic personal health information that they access on behalf of the covered entity. Business associates may include lawyers, debt collection agencies, transcription agencies, laboratories and so on.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule applies to protected health information (PHI) in all forms (oral, written, and electronic) and addresses the use and disclosure of an individual's health information. It's aim is to assure individual's health information is properly protected and for individuals to understand and control how their health information is used (ie. ensuring the privacy of patient's health information).

The HIPAA Security Rule applies to PHI only in electronic form - essentially, patient's medical records and other personal health care information. It mandates that electronically stored or transmitted personal health information be kept confidential and protected against unauthorized users and any threats to its security or integrity (ie. safeguarding patients health information from unauthorized disclosure). The Rule is intended to set a minimum level or "floor" of security.

Informations
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