Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) wants to know what you think about two critical provisions concerning HIPAA and HITECH, but you only have until June 6 to weigh in.

Details: On April 6, OCR issued a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register “on how covered entities and business associates are voluntarily implementing recognized security practices” under HIPAA, according to the RFI. The agency seeks “public input on potential information or clarifications OCR could provide on its implementation of the statute in future guidance or rulemaking,” the RFI says.

Another part of the RFI concerns whether or not civil monetary penalties (CMPs) garnered from settlements should be shared with harmed individuals as part of the HITECH provisions.

“OCR encourages comments from all stakeholders, including patients and their families, HIPAA covered entities and their business associates, consumer advocates, health care professional associations, health information management professionals, health information technology vendors, and government entities,” an HHS release says.

Review the RFI and offer your two cent by June 6 at www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/04/06/2022-07210/considerations-for-implementing-the-health-information-technology-for-economic-and-clinical-health.