CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced on April 21 the delay of the deadline for implementation of the interoperability final rule, citing the need for hospitals to focus entirely on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hospitals, health systems, and long-term care facilities are being challenged by census workers requesting information about patients and residents to conduct an accurate census. Some have gone as far as stating that they have a right to access hospital electronic health records (EHR).
Q: Regarding patient portals, to what degree is it the individual’s responsibility to keep his or her health information private? Would the healthcare organization be liable if someone else obtained the individual’s login credentials—perhaps if the individual is known to use the same password for many applications—and accessed the records?
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on April 9 that it will not impose penalties for violations of HIPAA rules in connection with the operation of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) testing sites during the public health emergency.
As employers prepare for possible impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), one important step is to review the types of health disclosures that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) does and does not allow in such times of crisis.
Q: HHS recently issued a notice that fee limitations will apply only to an individual’s request for access to their own records and not to an individual’s request to transmit records to a third party. Will limitations imposed by state law now apply?
While the healthcare industry rightfully remains focused on handling the COVID-19 pandemic, compliance officers should also be aware of two rules that dropped in early March.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on April 2 that it will not impose penalties for violations of certain provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19) information sharing.
Healthcare facilities across the world are faced with myriad challenges as they aim to diagnose and treat cases of COVID-19. HHS and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) have instituted several changes during the nationwide public health emergency, some of which modify HIPAA laws and directly impact healthcare organizations around the country.
