Health Insurance

Recently Answered

  • QHow can I protect my rights as a patient?
    1 Answer
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    Dr. Alvin S. Haynes, MD - San Jose, CA - Internal Medicine
    A Internal Medicine, answered on behalf of
    How can I protect my rights as a patient?
    To protect your rights and advocate for yourself as a patient, you need to speak up. Get advice on how to make sure your medical team answers your questions in this video of Alvin Haynes, MD, of Regional Medical Center of San Jose.
  • QHow much coverage will an elderly person need for long-term care insurance?
    1 Answer
    A
    Cara Mae Melton - Raleigh, NC - Administration
    A , Administration, answered
    You will need to do the math to figure out how much coverage an elderly person will need for long-term care insurance. Work out how much they can afford out of pocket (after all bills) and make sure that can cover the average daily cost of a nursing homes or in-home care.

    Bear in mind that your loved one's health history will affect the cost of his or her long-term care insurance. It will affect both the cost of coverage and eligibility. Also, know that chronic conditions will always draw higher premiums.
  • QHow do I know if a loved one needs long-term care insurance?
    1 Answer
    A
    CareConscious
    A answered
    To work out if your loved one might benefit from long-term care insurance, consider the following indicators:
    • You or your loved one has high income or more than $100,000 in assets, not including the home and personal items.
    • You or your loved one wants to stay independent without help from the family. Remember though, no one should get a policy if they risk not being able to afford the premiums.
    • You or your loved one is predisposed to ailments that would require prolonged care.
    Note: The insurance policy should as a general rule not cost more than 5% of the care recipient’s total income.
  • QWhat is the difference between the HIPAA Privacy Rules and Security Rules?
    1 Answer
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    ONC Consumer eHealth & Blue Button
    A answered
    The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules establish federal requirements for keeping your health information secure. The HIPAA Privacy Rule generally requires healthcare providers and health plans to safeguard your health information. This requirement applies to both paper and electronic records. The HIPAA Security Rule more specifically details the steps your healthcare providers and others must take to keep your electronic protected health information secure.
  • QHow does HIPAA ensure the security of EHRs held by healthcare providers?
    1 Answer
    A
    ONC Consumer eHealth & Blue Button
    A answered
    The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule requires providers to assess the security of their electronic health record (EHR) systems. The rule sets technical safeguards for protecting electronic health records against the risks that are identified in the assessment. Some of the steps that may be taken to reduce the risks include:
    • Access controls such as passwords or PIN numbers that limit access to your information to authorized individuals, like your doctors or nurses
    • Encryption of your information, which means your health information cannot be read or understood except by someone who can decrypt it, using a key made available only to authorized individuals
    • Audit trails, which record who accessed your information, what changes were made and when they were made, provide an additional layer of security.
    • Workstation security, which ensures that computer terminals that can access your health records cannot be used by unauthorized persons
    Your providers must have risk management policies and procedures in place to assess security risks and to ensure that known risks are addressed and prevented.
  • QHow are my personal health records (PHRs) protected by HIPAA?
    1 Answer
    A
    ONC Consumer eHealth & Blue Button
    A answered
    Some websites offer a place to store your health records online. These are often called personal health records (PHRs). Some personal health records are offered by healthcare providers and health plans and are covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules. Other personal health records (PHRs) are offered by stand-alone companies. If these PHR companies are not covered by HIPAA, they must follow the Federal Trade Commission's Health Breach Notification Rule and notify you if there is a breach of your information.
  • QWhat is a HIPAA notice?
    1 Answer
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    ONC Consumer eHealth & Blue Button
    A answered
    Most of your healthcare providers and your health insurance company must give you a HIPPA notice, or a notice of privacy practice. This notice tells you how they may legally use and share your health information. It will also explain how you can exercise your health information privacy rights. The provider or health insurance company cannot use or disclose information in a way that is not consistent with its notice.
  • QCan I file a complaint about the way my health information is handled?
    1 Answer
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    American Health Information Management Assoc.
    A answered
    According to the Consumer Health Information Bill of Rights, you have the right to file a complaint about the way your health information is handled including, but not limited to, privacy and security concerns. You have a right to expect a timely response and resolution. A complaint or violation can be reported to the organization and/or other state or federal agencies.
  • QIs there any recourse if the security of my health information is breached?
    1 Answer
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    American Health Information Management Assoc.
    A answered
    According to the Consumer Health Information Bill of Rights, you have the right to expect that organizations will hold staff responsible for any improper access, use or release of your health information. You have the right to expect that a breach of your health information will be investigated as required by law. You can further expect to be notified of harmful breaches and assisted accordingly. 
  • QHow does the law protect the confidentiality of my health information?
    1 Answer
    A
    American Health Information Management Assoc.
    A answered
    For information about the health information laws in your state, visit the website of The Center for Democracy and Technology.

    Most health records are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. Health records originated by the federal government, such as the Veterans Administration or Indian Health Services, are also subject to the Privacy Act of 1974.

    Health records originated by federally subsidized substance abuse programs are subject to the Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records rule.

    If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you should contact the privacy officer of the provider or hospital where you believe the violation occurred to try to resolve your concern. If you are unable to resolve your concern locally, you can file a formal complaint regarding the organization’s privacy practices directly to the organization, health plan, or to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The OCR is charged with investigating complaints and enforcing the privacy regulation.

    See more at: http://myphr.com/resources/faqs.aspx