HIPPA
What is the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act
of 1996 (HIPAA)?
HIPAA
amended the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act (ERISA), to
provide new rights and protections
for participants and beneficiaries
in group health plans.
Understanding this amendment is
important to your decisions about
future health coverage. HIPAA
contains protections both for
health coverage offered in
connection with employment (group
health plans) and for individual
insurance policies sold by
insurance companies (individual
policies).
If
you find a new job that offers
health coverage, or if you are
eligible for coverage under a
family member's employment-based
plan, HIPAA includes protections
for coverage under group health
plans that:
-
Limit exclusions for preexisting
conditions
-
Prohibit discrimination against
employees and dependents based
on their health status
-
Allow a special opportunity to
enroll in a new plan to
individuals in certain
circumstances
If
you choose to apply for an
individual policy for yourself or
your family, HIPAA includes
protections for individual
policies that:
HIPAA
Frequently Asked Questions |
