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CHA has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights on its proposed rule that would modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to support and remove barriers to coordinated care and individual engagement.
CHA strongly supports the goals of strengthening patients’ access to their health information, reducing barriers to care coordination, and decreasing administrative burden in privacy regulations. However, CHA urges HHS to not create additional regulatory complexity and consider the broader privacy regulatory framework — including newly implemented information-blocking regulations and forthcoming changes to policies for sharing mental health and substance use disorder records.
CHA comments on several specific provisions of the proposed rule, including the definition of electronic health record, access to protected health information, verification requirements, and clarification on permitted protected health information disclosures to support care coordination activities.
CHA encourages members to use the letter as a template to submit comments, which are due to HHS by 2 p.m. (PT) on May 6.
