Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a voluminous Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on July 14, 2010, containing dozens of proposed amendments to three sets of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulations: the Privacy Rule; the Security Rule; and the Enforcement Rule. The proposed amendments are directed principally at implementing the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act), which amended HIPAA and went into effect on February 17, 2010. A careful review of the NPRM for its impact on employers who sponsor HIPAA-covered plans reveals that, if the proposed changes were adopted, employers would be required to revise their business associate agreements, their HIPAA notice of privacy practices, and their policies for responding to access requests. The NPRM also provides employers with a roadmap for avoiding civil monetary penalties.
Continue reading about this development with Littler's ASAP, What Do Employers with HIPAA-Covered Health Plans Really Need to Know About Recently Proposed Revisions to HIPAA Regulations?
Philip L. Gordon authored this entry.
