Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Issuing Authority: Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance
Policy Contact: University HIPAA Privacy Officer, 478-301-2300

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Public Law 104-191, was enacted by Congress to address healthcare reform, administrative simplification and patient healthcare information privacy and security issues.

Simplified, it was established to:

  • Allow portability of pre-existing condition exemption between employer health insurance group plans.
  • Standardize electronic transactions in healthcare to reduce costs through adjustments in record formats, code sets, identifiers, eligibility, referral, claims, remittance, etc.

There are several related policies: