The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published in the Federal Register today a Request for Information (RFI) on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care. The published summary of the RFI is:
“OCR is issuing this RFI to assist OCR in identifying provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy and security regulations that may impede the transformation to value-based health care or that limit or discourage coordinated care among individuals and covered entities (including hospitals, physicians, and other providers, payors, and insurers), without meaningfully contributing to the protection of the privacy or security of individuals’ protected health information. This RFI requests information on whether and how the rules could be revised to promote these goals, while preserving and protecting the privacy and security of such information and individuals’ rights with respect to it.”
OCR seeks public comments for recommendations that would further the following goals:
- Promoting information sharing for treatment and care coordination.
- Promoting parental and caregiver involvement and addressing the Opioid Crisis and Serious Mental Illness.
- Accounting of disclosures.
- Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP).
HHS requests public comment on the RFI by February 12, 2019, with information on how to submit public comment in the RFI.