If you have gone to a doctor’s appointment within the last 20 years, you have likely signed a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) form. HIPAA protects a patient’s mental and physical health information and allows the patient access to records. Under the law, the patient can also distribute those records to other parties. As with mandated reporting, there are exceptions to the HIPAA protection, such as in cases of abuse or public health threats.
you learn more about HIPAA regulations and reflect on your exposure to HIPAA as a patient.
watch the Southside Community Services video listed in this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on how HIPAA informs the interaction between the social worker and the client.
Reflection
- Identify two HIPAA regulations for health care providers.
- Describe a time when you have signed a form related to HIPAA (e.g., doctor’s office)
- Reflect on your knowledge as the consumer on the regulations of HIPAA and how your provider explained your rights. Explain whether or not your provider adequately informed you of your rights?
- Explain how HIPAA supports or doesn’t support the NASW Code of Ethics (2008).
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html
Cummins, L., K., & Sevel, J., A. (2017). Social work skills for beginning direct practice: Text, workbook, and interactive web based case studies (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
- Appendix B, “HIPAA and Confidentiality Issues” (pp. 299-303)
