HHS Issues Proposed Amendments to HIPAA

On December 10, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that proposed amendments to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule are being submitted to the Office of the Federal Register for review and publication.

The proposed changes aim to 1) strengthen individuals’ rights to access their own health information, including electronic information; 2) improve information sharing for care coordination and case management for individuals; 3) enhance flexibilities for disclosures and for family and caregiver involvement in emergency or threatening circumstances, such as the Opioid and COVID-19 public health emergencies; and 4) reduce administrative burdens on HIPAA covered health care providers and health plans.

According to the news release, HHS encourages comments from all stakeholders, which will be due 60 days after publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register.

For our OSHA Review subscribers… refer to the November/December 2018 issue in Section X of your binder for more information on current HIPAA requirements. Additionally, OSHA Review will continue to provide guidance as new information becomes available and updated rules are finalized.