HIPAA privacy rule proposed modifications

On December 10, 2020 the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a display version of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) modifying federal rules known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) rules. In part, these rules govern the sharing, privacy and security of personal health information (PHI). The proposed modifications are intended to strengthen individuals’ access to their health care records and to increase permissible disclosures of PHI needed for care coordination, case management and related uses to better support value-based health care.