Employees Not Up on HIPAA Rights

April 3, 2003 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - More than seven out of 10 Americans (73%) said their employers have not yet notified them of their privacy rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

With employers apparently not doing enough to get the word out to employees in the face of the federally mandated April 14 compliance deadline, it is not surprising that 54% of the 1,078 Americans surveyed said they were not familiar with the regulation and the deadlines, according results of a APCO Insight survey.

The survey also shows that men are significantly less aware of the regulation, with only 58% of men aware, compared to 50% of women. Awareness levels also tended to move in direct correlation with education levels, with only 37% of those completing some high school being aware, as opposed to 49% of those with a post-graduate degree.

Further, income levels proved to be a factor in familiarity with the regulations. Only 38% of the population making between $20,000-$40,000 per year aware of the regulations, as opposed to 55% of those making more than $80,000 per year.

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