Ethical Responsibilities: Avoid Putting the Organization at Risk

Knowledge of HIPAA is an essential part of a Medical Assistant's role. For this section of the employee training manual, you will be providing an overview of the privacy aspect of HIPAA. Additionally, you will reflect on the protections provided by the law and how such protection can be reflected in your own philosophy of providing excellent patient services.

You have determined that it is important to provide visual examples of some of the written communication that your coworkers will partake in while working in your department. This week for your project, you will construct a HIPAA overview and sample denial letter to include in your training manual.

1. In a minimum of 1 full page, explain HIPAA's role in helping new Medical Assistants act ethically and professionally in their practice.

2. In 1 full page, draft a formal letter denying a patient request for information that conveys the denial in a professional and courteous manner. Use block formatting for the letter. For help with block formatting, see the answer to the "What is block format?" question in the Rasmussen library.

3. Remember that these two pieces are intended for different audiences. (The overview is for new Medical Assistants. The letter, although included in the training manual for new Medical Assistants to see as a sample, is intended to be read by patients.) Therefore, determine the appropriate manner of communication and content for each piece and be sure to apply a tone that is suitable for each audience.