Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400-600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

For this assignment, you will review the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) policies and regulations. HIPAA is a series of government regulations defining private, confidential medical information. These regulations dictate who can use and transmit medical information. The clinic policy states that you are required to explain the HIPAA policy to the patient, obtain his or her signature after you answer any questions, and give a copy of the document to the patient.

Use this Web site, which contains valuable information regarding the HIPAA rules and regulations.

After reviewing the documents, discuss the following:

• What are the rules and regulations that pertain to the health care organizations?

• Should there be mandatory training on HIPAA rules and regulations and a competency test? Why, or why not?