As a healthcare provider, you have a responsibility to your patients to be aware of the current laws and guidelines that affect the care you provide. Below are a few of these terms:

• HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a U.S. law designed to provide privacy standards to protect patients’ medical records and other health information. Developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, these standards provide patients with access to their medical records and more control over how their personal health information is used and disclosed. (“HIPAA.” Medterms. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2014.)


• Meaningful Use: Using certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to:
  • Improve quality, safety and efficiency
  • Reduce health disparities
  • Engage patients and families
  • Improve care coordination and population health
  • Maintain privacy and security of patient health information
  
  Ultimately, the goal of meaningful use compliance is:
  • Better clinical outcomes
  • Improved population health outcomes
  • Increased transparency and efficiency
  • Empowered individuals
  • More robust research data on health systems
  (“HealthIT.gov.” Meaningful Use Definition and Meaningful Use Objectives of EHRs. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Aug. 2014.)


• HITECH: In 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act became law. It contains specific incentives designed to accelerate the adoption of health information technology (HIT) by the healthcare providers and patients. Its goal is to improve healthcare quality, increase affordability and improve healthcare outcomes for all. (“HealthIT.gov.” HITECH Programs & Advisory Committees. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.)


• Affordable Care Act (ACA): Provides Americans with better health security through health insurance reforms that expand coverage; holds insurance companies accountable; lowers healthcare costs; guarantees more choices and enhances the quality of care. The ACA refers to two separate pieces of legislation — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 — that together expand Medicaid coverage to millions, and improves Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). (“Affordable Care Act | Medicaid.gov.” Medicaid.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.)


• Healthcare Reform: Former President, Barack Obama’s Healthcare Reform — commonly called ObamaCare, but officially called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or Affordable Care Act (ACA) for short — was signed into law on March 23, 2010. (“Healthcare Reform Timeline.” Healthcare Reform Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Aug. 2014.)


• ICD-10-CM: The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification is used to code and classify morbidity data from patient records, physician offices and the National Center for Health Statistics surveys. (“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 19 June 2013. Web. 11 Aug. 2014.)


• CPT Codes: A uniform process for coding medical services, which streamlines reporting and increases accuracy and efficiency. CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes allow healthcare professionals to communicate with colleagues, patients, hospitals and insurers about the procedures performed. (“CPT® Process – How a Code Becomes a Code.” CPT® Process – How a Code Becomes a Code. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2014.)

1. Team Response: Of the terms bulleted above, which is the most impactful on the care you receive and why?