HIPPA ten years later

It is sometimes hard to believe it has been 10 years since the institution of HIPPA, commonly referred to as the HIPPO because of the tremendous burden, paper work, increased hassles, legal concerns, and excess costs it has created for the average physician and other healthcare providers.

There are pro’s and con’s on both sides of the debate but from most physicians, it just created more headaches.

A recent review with comments from both sides can be seen here: [HIPAA, 10 years after]

I cannot say my patients are any better off or that their care has been improved because of the government rules that were implemented, but it certainly has raised the concern of privacy. For the tremendous cost to private physician offices, I do not see any major advances that it added to the healthcare system.

One paragraph states:
"I'll make the argument and say we'd not be having what we're having with Dr. Brailer and the push for EHRs without HIPAA," he says. "For all its flaws, it was the catalyst that started the IT movement in this country. It opened the doors for a new relationship between providers and payers and trying to save money throughout the system."

I am not sure that HIPPA was the catalyst. I believe the information technology age itself has been and continues to be the impetus behind electronic health records and improved cost savings ideas.

Either way, it is here to stay and just one more hurdle in the Healthcare game!