HIPAA Covered Entity | Practical Law

HIPAA Covered Entity

HIPAA Covered Entity

Practical Law Glossary Item 6-501-7771 (Approx. 3 pages)

Glossary

HIPAA Covered Entity

Also known as a covered entity (CE). One of three types of entities that are subject to the Department of Health and Human Service's (HHS's) privacy, security, and breach notification rules, which implemented the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) (as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act).

For HIPAA compliance purposes, the three CEs are:

Health plans (see Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Toolkit).
Health care clearinghouses.
Health providers that conduct certain health care transactions in electronic form (for example, electronic billing and fund transfers).

For more information on whether an organization is a CE under HHS's privacy, security, and breach notification rules, see Practice Notes:

See also HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Toolkit and HHS's Are You a Covered Entity?