WHAT IS HIPAA AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT ME?

"HIPAA" is the federal "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996." HIPAA and its regulations require healthcare providers to take certain measures to protect patient information from unauthorized use or disclosure. HIPAA's standards impose mandatory obligations on physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers by certain deadlines, the earliest of which is October 15, 2002. Failure to meet these obligations may subject the provider to civil and criminal penalties, exclusion form Medicare and Medicaid, and damages in private litigation.