CMS Privacy of Medical Information Update

By now, everyone is familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which set national standards for how health care plans, health care clearinghouses and most health care providers protect the privacy of a patient's health information. Even though we have been dealing with the HIPAA Privacy Rule since 2003, questions still arise as to the best means for ensuring compliance. In response, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) continues its outreach to providers on this critical topic.

The latest guidance from CMS is an updated fact sheet, “Medical Privacy of Protected Health Information.” This is a high level fact sheet targeted to providers and other health care professionals, addressing critical issues such as “when it is necessary to sign a consent form” and “when are incidental disclosures allowed." The fact sheet also links to several important privacy rule resources. Provider privacy officers may find it helpful to keep this latest update from CMS handy.

Contact: Patrick Cucinelli, pcucinelli@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8827