HIPAA

What is HIPAA?
The Health Insurance Portability Act, otherwise known as the Kennedy Kassebaum law, is federal legislation that requires congress to, "Improve...the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system by encouraging the establishment of standards and requirements for the electronic transfer of certain health care information."

What is its significance?
What this means for healthcare organizations and professionals that transfer records and information is not only that they must be able to do so electronically, but that they must follow certain standards for ensuring the records remain secure and confidential.

These proposed security standards were published in the Federal Register on August 12, 1998. "HIPAA requires that all health plans, health care providers, and health care clearing houses that maintain or transmit health information electronically establish and maintain appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to ensure," (Federal Register, Vol. 63, No. 155)

Together, these regulations will require major changes in how health care organizations handle all facets of information management, including reimbursement, coding, security, and patient records.

HIPAA will have a far-reaching impact on every department of every entity that provides or pays for health care. A recent study commissioned by the American Hospital Association placed costs at $22.5 billion over the next five years.

HHS has published final regulations related to electronic transactions and privacy. Other final and proposed regulations are expected this year.

How can we help?
iStatus is Lantia's response to HIPAA. iStatus is a software package that makes use of digital signatures, XML, and open standards databases to bring HIPAA compliance to physician's offices, hospitals, insurance companies, and all other health care organizations.

By using Public Key infrastructure iStatus makes sure that only the right people obtain access to precisely the records that a patient has authorized. Any health care provider can present an electronic request to view the electronic records of a patient. After electronic approval is provided the record is sent by the provider in XML format to the requestor.

By using XML, iStatus is able to remain compatible with any database or data storage technology that might previously be in place. XML is a markup language just like HTML. The advantage of XML resides in that, unlike HTML, its tags define content rather than formatting. That way, an XML document sent to a database will be able to map all of its elements and connect them to the proper fields. In the same way, it can be converted to an HTML document, a Word file, or any other desired format.

iStatus is a full solution that does not only include software, but also training, policies, and a methodology to deal with the request of medical records and their electronic transmission.