Protected Health Information – HHS clarified medical privacy data

There have been questions recently about the privacy rules and regulations. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) want to be sure there is a clear understanding of these issues. Information has been posted to ensure that healthcare providers are aware of the helpful guidance and technical assistance materials the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published to clarify the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Please remind individuals within your organization of: 1) The Privacy Rule’s protections for personal health information held by providers and the rights given to patients, who may be assisted by their caregivers and others, and 2) that providers are permitted to disclose personal health information needed for patient care and other important purposes. The HHS complete listing of all HIPAA medical privacy resources is available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/  on the HHS Web site.

For a full list of educational materials, visit http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/assist.html  on the HHS Web site.