HIPAA Privacy Rule To Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy, Federal Register, v.88, n.73, April 17, 2023, pp.23506-23553; Notice of proposed rulemaking; notice of Tribal consultation; https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-04-17/pdf/2023-07517.pdf
SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or ‘‘Department’’) is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to solicit comment on its proposal to modify the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information (‘‘Privacy Rule’’) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH Act). The proposal would modify existing standards permitting uses and disclosures of protected health information (PHI) by limiting uses and disclosures of PHI for certain purposes where the use or disclosure of information is about reproductive health care that is lawful under the circumstances in which such health care is provided. The proposal would modify existing standards by prohibiting uses and disclosures of PHI for criminal, civil, or administrative investigations or proceedings against individuals, covered entities or their business associates (collectively, ‘‘regulated entities’’), or other persons for seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating reproductive health care that is lawful under the circumstances in which it is provided. DATES: Comments: Submit comments on or before June 16, 2023. Meeting: Pursuant to Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Tribal Consultation Policy, and the Department’s Plan for Implementing Executive Order 13175, the Office for Civil Rights solicits input from Tribal officials as the Department develops the modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule at 45 CFR parts 160 and 164, subparts A and E. The Tribal consultation meeting will be held on May 17, 2023, at 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT