As public concern over the privacy and security of their health information grows and the health care industry continues its integration of technology, Congress under President Clinton went to work to secure privacy…

What is HIPAA? 

The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was enacted as part of a broad Congressional effort improve the healthcare industry. A portion of HIPAA mandated the Department of Health and Human Services to establish and monitor standards for the maintenance and transmission of health information on individual patients.

The Privacy Rule 

The result was the establishment of the Privacy Rule (which  became effective April 14, 2003) and the Transactions Rule (to become effective October 2003).

How Psychological Resources LLC Protects Your Privacy

PRL has developed policies and procedures for the implementation of these Rules.  Our goals are to: 

• Improve the efficiency of the healthcare system by standardizing and streamlining the exchange of private health information between providers, insurers, and health care managers.

• Limit the kinds of information insurers or claim managers can request or receive in order to process claims. For example, the content of counseling or therapy sessions will no longer be disclosed under the new law.

• Expand patient's rights to access their records and know to whom their records are being disclosed.

• Require health care organizations to provide rigorous security and privacy standards for safeguarding private health information and preventing unauthorized access to it.

• Require provider organizations to appoint a Privacy Officer to monitor compliance with the new rules.

• Make the security and privacy of private health information a matter of federal law, and to provide for financial penalties for rule violations.

Follow this link to see the full text document of PRL's Privacy Policy and Practices.

For more information on HIPAA:

If you would like more information on HIPAA, you may find these links useful:

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Department of Health, HIPAA Overview  

US Department of Health and Human Services HIPAA Resources