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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
(HIPAA) was signed into law on August 21, 1996. This law includes
important new protections for millions of working Americans and their
families who have preexisting medical conditions or might suffer discrimination
in health coverage based on a factor that relates to an individual's
health. HIPAA's provisions amend Title I of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) as well as the Internal Revenue
Code and the Public Health Service Act and place requirements on employer-sponsored
group health plans, insurance companies and health maintenance organizations
(HMOs). HIPAA includes changes that:
- limit exclusions for preexisting conditions;
- prohibit discrimination against employees and dependents based
on their health status;
- guarantee renewability and availability of health coverage to
certain employers and individuals; and
- protect many workers who lose health coverage by providing better
access to individual health insurance coverage.
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