The American Hospital Association (AHA) has filed its comments on the proposed new HIPAA privacy rule by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) amending the federal regulation governing health care data privacy and security is significant. It contains helpful and challenging proposed changes related to expanding patients’ right of access to their personal health information and increasing care coordination and case management.
In its comments, the AHA asks HHS to take a “holistic approach” to the rulemaking and to assure that it is harmonized with other significant and related rulemaking about information blocking and SUD records under other regulations. Hospitals are encouraged to review AHA’s comments with the rule text and consider commenting to HHS directly. WSHA will continue to follow AHA’s lead, including relying on their comments. The deadline for comment has been extended until May 6. The rule text and comments may be filed here.