Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

Which of the following are the main areas HIPAA addresses?

1. Medical practices, government regulations, healthcare staffing

2. Identifiers, electronic transactions, and patient advocacy

3. Identifiers, electronic transactions, security of e-PHI, and privacy of PHI

4. Health care costs and patient insurance coverage

The correct answer is: Identifiers, electronic transactions, security of e-PHI, and privacy of PHI

The correct answer focuses on the critical components of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that are designed to protect sensitive patient information and ensure electronic healthcare transactions are secure and standardized. HIPAA primarily addresses identifiers, which include unique identifiers for healthcare providers, health plans, and patients that are essential for processing electronic transactions. Additionally, the act outlines regulations for electronic transactions, such as billing practices and the exchange of health information, ensuring that these processes are streamlined and secure. The security of electronic Protected Health Information (e-PHI) is another key focus, as HIPAA mandates standards to safeguard this data against unauthorized access and breaches. Lastly, the privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI) is central to HIPAA; the act establishes strict rules regarding who can access and share patient information, thus reinforcing patient rights over their personal health details. This comprehensive approach enhances the security and confidentiality of patient data while facilitating necessary healthcare operations, making it an essential framework in the healthcare industry. The other choices do not encapsulate these core elements. For instance, options addressing healthcare staffing or health care costs are outside the primary focus of HIPAA, which centers on data protection and transaction standards rather than broader healthcare economic issues.