Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

The feds added another 45 days to the comment period for a proposed major overhaul of the HIPAA Privacy Rule that was quietly released in December 2020.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is giving the public until May 6 to weigh in on a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), which includes substantial modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, an OCR release notes. Some of the hot topics covered in the proposal include:

• Updates to HIPAA Right of Access
• Emergency flexibilities
• Family and caregiver access to patients’ health data
• Reducing administrative burdens

“OCR anticipates a high degree of public interest in providing input on the proposals because the HIPAA Privacy Rule affects nearly anyone who interacts with the health care system,” said Robinsue Frohboese, acting OCR director, in a release. “The 45-day extension of the comment period to May 6, 2021, will give the public a full opportunity to consider the proposals and submit comments to inform future policy.”

Resource:  Read NPRM and comment at www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/21/2020-27157/proposed-modifications-to-the-hipaa-privacy-rule-to-support-and-remove-barriers-to-coordinated-care.