What Volunteers Need to Know
What is HIPAA?
HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portable and Accountable Act of 1996.
It is a federal law imposed on health care organizations.
Penalties
Criminal: Maximum of 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine for serious offenses such as selling health information or gaining access to information under false pretenses.
Civil: Maximum fine of $25000 per violation for incidence such as releasing patient information with out proper authorization.
Children’s Specialized Hospital: Violating HIPAA rules will be subject to immediate review and serious consequences up to and including termination of volunteer services.
What is PHI?
Protected Health Information is another name for Confidential Information.
PHI is any information that: is written on paper, saved on the computer or other media, or spoken is created or received by Children’s relates to a patient’s past, present, or future payment for healthcare
Identifies the individual, such as name, age, diagnosis, photos, medical number, and more
Protect Patient’s Privacy
Don’t discuss patients in public areas such as elevators and cafeteria lines
Don’t ask personal information of the patient
Don’t take photographs of patients
Do knock on doors and ask to enter a patient’s room before walking in
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