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Consumer Information


Index of items on this page:
Introduction
HIPAA Helps You Get and Keep Health Insurance Coverage
The Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA)
The Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act (NMHPA)
The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)

HIPAA OnLine Logo

HIPAA OnLine is an interactive tool that helps answer questions about your rights and protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA OnLine guides you to an answer by asking you questions about your health coverage and situation.

Introduction


Life is filled with a variety of events that may affect the health insurance coverage you need or that you have available to you. Each year millions of Americans face life events, which can vary from the birth of a baby, the onset of a chronic condition or disabling disease, to divorce, changing jobs or a business closing, cutting back on staff or reducing the number of hours you work.

You need to know how these and other life events affect your health insurance coverage. Your ability to get and keep health insurance coverage may be of special concern if you or your family members have a history of medical problems.

Recent changes in federal law now give additional - though limited - protections to you and your family members when you need to buy, change, or continue your health insurance. These important laws can affect the health benefits of millions of working Americans and their families. Understanding these protections, as well as laws in your State, can help you make a more informed choice if you need to make a change in health coverage. It also can help you better understand the health coverage protections you have under the law.

The purpose of this on-line information is to give you an overview of how you may be affected by health insurance coverage changes found in four federal laws:

  • The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA);
  • The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA);
  • The Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996 (NMHPA); and
  • The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 (WHCRA).

This on-line information does not cover all the details of these laws. But it does give you and your family information about your rights and protections under these laws. As you read this information, it is important to remember that health insurance laws in your State may provide you even greater protections to buy, change, or continue health coverage. Thus, use the following information as a general guideline. If you have detailed questions about coverage guidelines and protections in your State, please click on "Contacts" which lets you search for your State health insurance department.

As you read this information, it also is important to remember that health insurance coverage is a complex issue. Your coverage and protections will depend on your specific situation. For example, you may have access to different health coverage protections depending on if you work and get insurance through your workplace, or if you have individual coverage. To help you better understand this and other issues, this on-line information includes general information about the four federal laws and some frequently asked questions and answers about them. In addition, health coverage can be difficult to understand because of the different words and phrases used to describe the coverage. Thus, you will find a list of "terms" used in the on-line information and a list of "Contacts" to click on for more information.

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HIPAA Helps You Get and Keep Health Insurance Coverage

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The Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA)

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The Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act (NMHPA)

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The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)

Last Modified on Friday, September 17, 2004