HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was signed into law on August 21, 1996. This law includes important new protections for millions of working Americans and their families who have preexisting medical conditions or might suffer discrimination in health coverage based on a factor that relates to an individual's health. HIPAA's provisions amend Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) as well as the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act and place requirements on employer-sponsored group health plans, insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). HIPAA includes changes that:

+ limit exclusions for preexisting conditions;
+ prohibit discrimination against employees and dependents based on their health status;
+ guarantee renewability and availability of health coverage to certain employers and individuals; and
+ protect many workers who lose health coverage by providing better access to individual health insurance coverage.