At our current technological level it is easy to forget some of the security basics. Identity theft, bank fraud and other so called modern crimes have been around for some time, they just have new ways of being committed. That said, it's a good idea for all of us to review some of the laws and regulations that are currently in place.
Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA)
HIPAA was enacted in 1996 and the mandatory compliance date is April 14, 2003. All hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, health plans, medical billing companies and any other business entity involved in the health care industry must comply. The rules apply to all protected health information. The Standard for Privacy of Identifiable Health Information requires that covered entities put in place administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect the privacy of protected health information. One example given of a safeguard for the proper disposal of paper documents containing protected health information is that the documents be shredded prior to disposal.