Friday, December 18, 2020
The Office for Civil Rights has proposed numerous changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule
Among proposed changes are expanding an individual’s access to protected health information, eliminating the Notice of Privacy Practices acknowledgment, and giving more flexibility for several types of disclosures
The public has 60 days to submit comments; once a final rule is issued, policies and procedures must be modified and training must be issued to remain in compliance
Most of the proposed changes fall into three areas: 1) expanding an individual’s access to protected health information (PHI), 2) modifying Notice of Privacy Practices requirements, and 3) allowing more flexibility for disclosures about patients experiencing substance use and mental health disorders.