HHS Proposes Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule

Published: December 16th, 2020

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have announced they are proposing changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule to remove barriers to coordinated care and reduce the regulatory burdens on the healthcare industry.

The proposed new changes include:

Strengthening individuals’ rights to access their personal health information and improving the sharing of information for care coordination.
Facilitating greater family and caregiver involvement in care.
Enhancing flexibilities for disclosures in emergency or threatening circumstances.
Reducing administrative burdens on HIPAA covered healthcare providers and health plans while continuing to protect individuals’ health information and privacy.

Health officials believe the proposed changes will break down barriers that have stood in the way of care coordination for too long. The proposed reforms should reduce burdens on providers and empower patients and their families to enable better healthcare while upholding HIPAA’s privacy and security law.

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