HIPPA violation

[Mermaid02]

FYI for all of you who work in a hospital/doctor's office/other organization that requires you to be in complainance with HIPAA...

It's HIPAA not HIPPA.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

I wanted to point that out as well. For something that some seem so concerned about they don't even know the appropriate abbreviation.

Thanks for saving me the typing!

 

[Heidict]

I don't really know, but when my adult DD requested copies of all of her medical records from a former doctors office due to an issue she was having with them at the time, they were delivered to her house - in a box - tossed on the front lawn - where anyone could have picked them up and walked away with them.. And this was after she was told by the office that she would have to be home to "sign" for them..

Who dumped it on the lawn? Surely not the office, right? If it was the post office, I would report it to them. Dumping your mail on the lawn, regardless if you needed to sign for it or not is unprofessional, to say the least.

HIPAA (the "privacy" part) is a complete joke that just makes medicine more expensive.

Really? The people I know that have been suspended for violations or the ones that have been fired don't think it's a joke. Seems like most on this thread who work with it on a daily basis don't think it's a joke. Maybe you are just dealing with a bad doctors office/hospital, but please don't let there it taint your view of all healthcare professionals.

 

[dejr_8]

Who dumped it on the lawn? Surely not the office, right? If it was the post office, I would report it to them. Dumping your mail on the lawn, regardless if you needed to sign for it or not is unprofessional, to say the least.


Really? The people I know that have been suspended for violations or the ones that have been fired don't think it's a joke. Seems like most on this thread who work with it on a daily basis don't think it's a joke. Maybe you are just dealing with a bad doctors office/hospital, but please don't let there it taint your view of all healthcare professionals.

Please tell me how all the privacy paperwork associated with HIPAA has made medical treatment better?

Is it really better that a Doctor's office or Pharmacy can't use your last name when calling for you in the waiting area?. THAT is just plain silly.

Or that before I can discuss billing issues regarding my wife's account she needs to inform them in writing. Yep, THAT makes the system run better.

 

[JessicaR]

That's critical. The system is sound, despite some of the curmudgeonly comments above, but it relies on patients reporting violations when they occur, and pushing to assert their rights.

This is the bottom line.

 

[Disney Doll]

I siti technically a HIPAA violation? Well, yes but it sounds like it was more of a mistake...try as we do not to make them, people who work in hospitals are human and mistakes are made.

Truthfully, I wouldn't make an issue of it, but every state has a state board which oversees hospitals and you can complain to them.

At my hospital, when stuff like this happens they do a review to see where the process failed.

 

[dejr_8]

I siti technically a HIPAA violation? Well, yes but it sounds like it was more of a mistake...try as we do not to make them, people who work in hospitals are human and mistakes are made.

Truthfully, I wouldn't make an issue of it, but every state has a state board which oversees hospitals and you can complain to them.

At my hospital, when stuff like this happens they do a review to see where the process failed.

And how much does that review cost? Could the people involved be doing something more constructive?

 

[bicker]

It depends on what gauge you're using to determine constructive value, I'm sure. The reality is that many people apply a very high value to their own privacy - though paradoxically often a very low value to other people's privacy. That affects the evaluation in very strange ways.

 

[Heidict]

Please tell me how all the privacy paperwork associated with HIPAA has made medical treatment better?

HIPAA was designed to protect the patient's privacy. I don't know if it makes treatment better or not, but I don't believe that was it's intended purpose.

Is it really better that a Doctor's office or Pharmacy can't use your last name when calling for you in the waiting area?. THAT is just plain silly.

What difference does it make if they use your last name or not? I guess if you go to a large practice or pharmacy and their are tons of people waiting then a last name could be useful, but I have never run into that problem myself.

Or that before I can discuss billing issues regarding my wife's account she needs to inform them in writing. Yep, THAT makes the system run better.

Maybe it is a pain to you that your DH can't discuss your bill without your permission, but stop and think for a minute about the people that don't want their spouse or their parent or whomever, finding out about their medical care.

You don't realize the number of people I have spoken to that have tried to get info on another person's account when it is none of their business.

I don't care if their snowflake is in college and they pay their insurance, they have no right knowing why they were seen by a doctor. You would not believe the number of parents that get verbally abusive because we won't tell them. So HIPAA is protecting their child's privacy. If they want to know why their kid was there, ask them. Calling me every name in the book and threatening me with your lawyers and the attorney general doesn't mean squat and only makes them look like the idiots they are.

So, while it is inconvenient for you, there is a purpose for it. Unfortunately there were people in the medical community who didn't protect the patient's privacy like they should have and because of their lax attitude this is what we now get to deal with.

Just because you are married, it is not a guarantee that it is okay to discuss with your spouse all your medical info. Believe it or not their are spouses who get medical care without their spouses knowledge. To just willy nilly give out info because they are married it stupid and could end in a lawsuit.

 

[Disney Doll]

And how much does that review cost? Could the people involved be doing something more constructive?

It's usually the risk management/quality assurance folks who do stuff like that, so it is part of their job. It is not a separate entity broken out, so I have no idea of the cost.

Could they be doing something more constructive? Well, there are those who believe that correcting the processes that cause these types of issues is constructive, so I guess it's matter of opinion.

Really guys, it's not like most people involved in healthcare wake up every morning and say to themssleves "Let's see who I can tick off today". But we are human, mistakes do happen, and most of us try to correct them to the best of our ability.