HIPAA is something that
all Health Unit Coordinators have drummed into us. HIPAA (Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) is United States legislation that
provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information.
Fines can range from $100 to $50,000 per violation (or per record), with a
maximum penalty of $1.5 million per year for each violation.
So, knowing all of this, why do workers continue to disregard it?
Recently, a dozen workers
were fired from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago for accessing the
medical records of actor Jussie Smollett, one of the stars of the television
show Empire.
Don't risk your job,
money and reputation over being nosey.
