The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently release a first year of required compliance report. Organizations representing providers and health plans reported that implementing the HIPAA Privacy Rule went well during the first year, however, these same organizations found certain provisions of the Privacy Rule burdensome, such as the requirement for accounting for certain disclosures and the requirement to enter into business associate agreements. The GAO report also found that the general public is not well informed about their rights under the Privacy Rule. To view the full GAO report go to: