HHS turns HIPAA over to the Office for Civil Rights. Today, Kathleen Sebelius–Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary–transferred the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule’s delegation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The HHS contends that this “will eliminate duplication and increase efficiencies in how the department ensures that Americans’ health information privacy is protected.”
HIPAA’s Security Rule enumerates various security procedures for covered entities to ensure protection of protected health information (PHI) in connection with electronic health records. Alongside HIPAA’s Security Rule is the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, which provides greater protections for PHI through electronic health records.
For more information, please contact Abby Pendleton, Esq. or Jessica L. Gustafson, Esq. at (248) 996-8510, visit The HLP HIPAA Specialty Page, or visit The HLP website.