What is HIPAA and How Does It Affect Me?

Congress enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to protect your healthcare information. The primary objective is to ensure the electronic transmission of health care information between insurance companies remains private. A consequence of these strict privacy rules is that your healthcare provider may be prevented from sharing healthcare information with your loved ones.

HIPAA imposes significant penalties on health care providers who release your information without proper authorization. To avoid a situation where your family is unable to obtain necessary healthcare information when an emergency arises, it is imperative that you have a Healthcare Power of Attorney.