Health IT laws Homework
Description of terms
ARRA
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) refers to a recovery act that was enacted in 2009 by Congress and signed into law by former President Barack Obama. The purpose of the legislation was to act as a stimulus package that would accelerate the recovery of the U.S economy following the great recession. The law was aimed at preserving jobs that already existed and creating more within the minimum time possible. The legislation would also create short-term relief arrangements to reduce the impacts of the recession on the affected citizens and facilitate massive investments in the health, renewable energy, and infrastructure and education systems (Blumenthal, 2009). One of the law’s provisions is the “Buy American,” which aimed at promoting local production and creation of jobs. Additionally, the government made substantial tax cuts for firms that complied with the law.
HITECH
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) is one of the many sections of the ARRA. The purpose of HITECH was to promote the utilization of electronic health records in health care facilities and other technology in the country. HITECH was intended to support the expected growth in the need to share health care information among stakeholders of the health care system while reducing the cost of such communication (Blumenthal, 2010). Another objective of the bill was to improve security and enhance the privacy of patient information by increasing the penalty or liability of breaking the laws. The law offered monetary incentives for firms that demonstrated the ability to use the electronic health record system. The penalty for breaking the law is a fine between $ 250,000 and $1.5 million.
HIPPA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) is a 1996 Act concerned with the disclosure and use of health information. The purpose of the legislation was to ensure that the Protected Health Information (PHI) is safeguarded. To achieve this objective, the law highlights privacy rights for patients that dictate how health information is handled. Major provisions of the law include Title I– to V that protect medical insurance upon loss of jobs, control health care abuse or fraud, and guides the evolution of health insurance law (Edemekong, & Haydel, 2019). The HIPAA provisions ensure that business Associates adhere to set agreements. The penalty for breaking the law is a fine between $ 250,000 and $1.5 million.
References
Blumenthal, D. (2009). Stimulating the adoption of health information technology. West Virginia Medical Journal, 105(3), 28-30.
David Blumenthal MD, M. P. P. (2010). Launching hitech. The New England journal of medicine, 362(5), 382.
Edemekong, P. F., & Haydel, M. J. (2019). Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.