HIPAA And Its Effects On The Medical Record Retrieval Process

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, is a federal mandate that congress enacted in 1996. It exists to protect the private health information and details of U.S. citizens, and it sets forth various security and safety standards for organizations and facilities that use, store, or record healthcare-related data.

HIPAA extends beyond hospitals and doctors to affect the legal industry as well, and it can make the medical record retrieval process difficult. There is a rigorous series of steps that must be followed in order to gain access to a client’s medical history, and once these records are acquired, lawyers and law firms must abide by HIPAA regulations in regards to security and safety by taking all necessary precautions to protect private medical records from theft or unauthorized access. If your case requires medical record retrieval, HIPAA must be taken into consideration. The most effective way to ensure that your case has the records and documents it needs to succeed is to hire a record retrieval professional who meets the following requirements:

• They are intimately familiar with every aspect of HIPAA – Make sure the person handling your record requests knows HIPAA and all the requirements it enforces.

• They have experience with the medical record retrieval process – Your record handler should know how the HIPAA-compliant process works, what forms and information are necessary, and who to contact to acquire the records in a timely fashion.

• They can ensure data security – Make sure your record retrieval professional knows how to keep your client’s medical records secure for both the client’s privacy and for your firm’s legal safety.

If you need a medical record retrieval for your current case, don’t let HIPAA slow down the process; contact LORR today. We offer professional record retrieval services and have decades of experience in the industry. Call now to get started.(210) 366-0800