Privacy vs. Security In The HIPAA Environment

July 1, 2002 Privacy vs. Security In The HIPAA EnvironmentThe Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) promises a sweeping impact on the business of healthcare. Although the federal regulation, to take effect in April 2003, defines standards and requirements regarding the privacy and security of healthcare information, many in the healthcare industry are unaware of the difference between security and privacy and use the terms interchangeably. This article is intended to help alleviate such confusion.Accessing information, as everyone in healthcare knows, requires familiarity with a seemingly endless list of procedures and "products," including claims coding and . . .