The United States has implemented the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect personal data. This law outlines which facilities must take security measures against accidental or intentional sharing of healthcare information of their clients (“Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996,” 2018). This paper will discuss what penalties and restrictions are enacted on companies and individuals by HIPAA by examining one of the recent events involving its application.
There are several grades of penalties related to the violation of this law. Individuals and organizations are viewed separately, and the nature of the incident is taken into account (Edemekong et al., 2021). For example, an individual who accidentally leaks someone’s information is subjected to a $100 fine, while an entity that willfully shares such data is met with a $50,000 fine and a 1-year sentence (Edemekong et al., 2021). As a future IT professional, I must ensure that the cybersecurity of my organization suffices the national standards by conducting risk assessments, knowing my responsibilities, providing documentation for security measures, and continuously seeking improvement opportunities.
One of the most recent events concerning HIPAA is related to new developments in genetics. Since scientists have discovered new methods of reading and decoding DNA, individuals who share their genetic data with healthcare-related facilities face the possibility of having their crucial personal data exposed (McKeon, 2021). Over the past year, several states have enacted strict rules for companies that perform genetic tests or work with such materials (McKeon, 2021). Prior to this wave of new laws, genetic data could have been shared with researchers for studies, but now such action requires the customer’s consent (McKeon, 2021). In conclusion, there are many aspects of IT-related business interactions that are covered by HIPAA that must be continuously assessed for potential data leaks.
References
Edemekong, P. F., Annamaraju, P., & Haydel, M. J. (2021). Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. StatPearls Publishing LLC. Web.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. (2018). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
McKeon, J. (2021). Growing number of states enact new genetic data privacy laws. Health Security. Web.