Healthcare organizations have the responsibility of protecting patient’s privacy. Protecting health information has become a major undertaking for healthcare facilities.

Research HIPAA. Discuss why it was enacted. Discuss the major additions to HIPAA that were signed into law in 2009. Your answer should also address one of the following questions:

• What role does the privacy officer have and how is it associated with HIPAA?
• What is the Notice of Privacy Practices? Do you recall ever receiving the notice at a healthcare facility?
• What information must be provided if a breach occurs?

Finally, has HIPAA directly affected you in any way? If so, briefly describe how. Was it a positive or negative experience?