Health Insurance Compliance Case Summary

Group 3 Case Study 1

Throughout the foundation of healthcare, the relationship of doctor-patient created a realm where private patient information was protected. It was outlined in the Hippocratic Oath, and then evolved into the common law tort system, which was weighed on a case-by-case basis, and prevailed for the ‘good’ of the public (Tyson, 2001, n.p.). As healthcare has progressed, especially with the changes in technology and its growth patient privacy, confidentiality and personal information has been difficult to safeguard. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), on the other hand, takes-on a regulation style approach, incorporating public policy and regulations (Kaplan, 2014, p. 36). As an organization, Kaiser Permanente and other institutions must make changes to avoid this type of event from occurring.

The case study discusses the possibility of a privacy violation taking place through the mishap of a stolen laptop that was placed in the trunk of a Kaiser Permanente employee’s car. Multiple strategies could have been in place prior

In addition, since Social Security Numbers (SSN) are within patient information, all patients and employees need to be notified and free monitoring systems need to be offered to secure patient information against identity theft. There also could be fines, penalties or jail time inferred on the individual or the organization such as, one hundred dollars to fifty thousand dollars for each HIPPA violation, or up to ten years imprisonment for personal gain or malicious reasons (kb.iu.edu). Theft or a breach of health information and privacy can be costly to the organization, the individual who committed the theft and to the patient or employee to regain their life and