I am a client, how does this affect me?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 regulates how your medical information, known as Protected Health information (PHI), is shared or disclose by organizations covered by this law. Almost all health care-related organizations, including health plans, providers, business associates, clearinghouses, federal Medicare and State Medicaid programs, and other state and local government organizations that handle health care information, are regulated by HIPAA.

The Med-QUEST Division (MQD), as the HI State Medical Assistance Program, must comply with the HIPAA regulations. However, the MQD do not create medical health information or PHI. MQD obtains PHI to process the payment of and to evaluate the quality of medical services you received from health care providers and health plans contracted by MQD. The Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) explains when MQD use, share or disclose PHI. HIPAA also guarantee individuals with specific rights to the protected health information. These rights include the right to review and obtain copies of the PHI MQD maintains, the right to request an amendment of PHI and the right to request a restriction to the disclosure of PHI. MQD has created forms to assist Medicaid clients in the form section .