Have you ever wondered what the initials HIPAA stand for? Do you know the laws that apply to it? What penalties can be enforced if you disregard this legislation? These are a few questions, I shall answer during this discussion. I will provide an example of a case against, Dr. Huping Zhou, a former surgeon that violated this decree. One question remains: What is the penalty for such an infringement? As you continue reading, an answer will be provided.
In the year 2003, Dr. Zhou was employed at the University of California, Los Angeles as a researcher. Unfortunately, the school was not happy with his work, and decided to terminate his employment with them. After hearing this news, Dr. Zhou chose to view his boss’s and fellow employee’s medical information. Another time, he explored the electronic charts of some celebrities. Not once, was there a medical or other necessary reason to condone such action (Dimick, 2010). Although, the information seen was never used for a personal financial gain, it was not authorized and illegal. Sadly, a federal crime was committed.…show more content… This act was established in 1996 to safeguard medical insurance coverage for employees and their families when they switch employers or become unemployed. It also implores the formation of national requirements for electronic medical care transactions and ways to identify companies, health insurance plans, and various medical personnel. Health insurance companies and medical faculty needed availability to a patients’ personal information. The purpose of this act was to allow access while preserving the confidentiality of the individual. In 2003, a model was created for securing the purity, confidentiality, and accessibility of electronic protected health information (Andriole,
