U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) announced the launch of a social media campaign Thursday, designed to assist Alzheimer’s disease caregivers with better understanding and navigating the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
The HIPAA Privacy Rule sets the national parameters for how doctors can access, use and share your personal health information. An increasing number of pragmatic applications of the law, however, demonstrate that health care providers often misinterpret HIPAA, causing access issues for caregivers.
“Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is a 24/7 job that carries a heavy emotional and financial burden,” Roskam said. “As I travel across the Sixth District, I also hear about the overwhelming difficulty associated with navigating HIPAA privacy restrictions, which can prevent caregivers from accessing a patient’s medical records or treatment options. In order to brainstorm ways to improve this system, I’m asking caregivers to share their stories with me and my staff and encourage others to do the same. I look forward to hearing about your experiences to better understand how HIPAA impacts the ability to care for an Alzheimer’s patient.”
Sixth District Alzheimer's caregivers are encouraged to visit www.roskam.house.gov/alzstory to confidentially share their experience encountering HIPAA with Roskam.
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