HIPAA: a few years later.

This article addresses the impact of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) several years after implementation. The rationale for HIPAA and a clarification of key terms, including covered entities, personal health information, and designated record sets, is reviewed. The impact of HIPAA at work, including increased cost and the complexities of educating employees and patients is assessed. Implications for homeland security, disaster planning, unique patient identifiers, the compilation of personal health records, and research are discussed.