Practicefirst has been closely watching for the Final Rule of the proposed modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
The proposed changes strengthen the requirements for providers to offer patients access to their PHI, including data sharing between facilities, technology partners, and mobile applications. Here are some of the proposed rules that may impact your practice:
Allow patients to review their health information in person and take notes or photographs.
Respond to health information requests within 15 calendar days following their request (from the current 30 days). Reduce the identity verification burden on individuals exercising their access rights.
Create a pathway for individuals to direct the sharing of PHI in an HER among covered health care providers and plans.
Specify when electronic PHI (ePHI) must be provided to the individual at no charge.
Revised fee structure for responding to requests to direct records to a third party.
Post estimated fee schedules on websites for health information access and for disclosure, and upon request, provide estimates of fees for requests for copies of PHI, and itemized bills for completed requests.
