Federal Government Proposes Modifications to Final Privacy Rules

Mondaq Business Briefing, July, 2002

The Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson, announced on March 21, 2002, several proposed common-sense revisions to the HIPAA privacy rules. The privacy rules affect a variety of entities, including health care providers, health insurance issuers and employers with self-funded health plans. Secretary Thompson stated, "The President believes strongly in the need for federal protections to ensure patient privacy, and the changes we are proposing today will allow us to deliver strong protections for personal medical information while improving access to care." HHS reviewed more than 52,000 public comments since proposing the federal privacy standards in 1999 and more than 11,000 more since March 2001 when Secretary Thompson requested additional public...