Please join us this Tuesday, March 19, 2013 for a complimentary webinar to further discuss the release of the Final Omnibus HIPAA Rule by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is the first in a three-part miniseries following last month’s webinar, where we focused generally on the sweeping changes to the HIPAA Privacy… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Rulemaking
Subscribe to Rulemaking RSS FeedWho Are My Business Associates, and Why the HIPAA Should I Care?
Posted in RulemakingMuch has been made about business associates in HITECH and the HIPAA Final Omnibus Rule. In a previous post and in our webinar we hit on the high points – that much of HIPAA applies directly to business associates, and that business associates themselves have obligations relative to their business associates. Indeed, not only do… Continue Reading
The Final Omnibus HIPAA Rule: Are You Ready?
Posted in Enforcement, RulemakingAs we mentioned in last week’s Webinar on the HIPAA Final Omnibus Rule, there are less than nine short months for covered entities and their business associates (and all downstream business associates) to comply with the HIPAA final rules. For those entities that have already taken steps following the release of the HITECH interim rules, the… Continue Reading
Webinar: HHS Releases Long-Awaited Final Omnibus HIPAA Rule
Posted in RulemakingPresented by Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP On Thursday, Feb. 7, at noon, HealtHITech Law bloggers Lisa Reisz and Liam Gruzs will host a webinar discussing the release of the long-awaited final omnibus HIPAA rule by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The new rule includes sweeping changes to the HIPAA Privacy… Continue Reading
HIPAA Final Rule Clarifies Business Associate Obligations
Posted in RulemakingBusiness Associates: You’re on notice. When the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”) was enacted nearly four years ago, business associates were aware that HIPAA compliance was going to be required of them – they were just not sure of the extent. Historically, business associates have been required to comply with… Continue Reading
HHS Previews Long-Awaited Final Omnibus HIPAA Rule
Posted in RulemakingOn January 17, 2013, HHS announced the release of the long-awaited final omnibus HIPAA rule. According to HHS Office for Civil Rights Director Leon Rodriguez, “This final omnibus rule marks the most sweeping changes to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules since they were first implemented. These changes not only greatly enhance a patient’s privacy… Continue Reading
Stage 2 Rule Eases Burdens on Medicaid Providers
Posted in Behavioral Health, Meaningful Use, RulemakingThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Stage 2 final rule (“Final Rule”) made two key changes which should benefit providers seeking Medicaid incentive payments: (1) allowing more patient encounters to be included in satisfying the required patient volume threshold for eligible professionals; and (2) simplifying hospital reporting of… Continue Reading
Meaningful Use Stage 2 Requirements Now Final
Posted in Meaningful Use, RulemakingThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has released its final rule for Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (“EHR”) Incentive Programs. The rule specifies criteria that eligible professionals and hospitals must meet in order to continue to receive incentive payments. CMS has indicated that the final rule will be published in… Continue Reading
Final Omnibus HIPAA Rule Delayed
Posted in RulemakingStill waiting. The White House Ofice of Management and Budget (“OMB”) has extended its review of the final omnibus HIPAA rule, validating recent comments indicating that further delay was likely. As we reported back in March, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rigths submitted the final omnibus rule for review by OMB,… Continue Reading
HIPAA Final Rule Status Update
Posted in RulemakingWe reported a few months back that the end of June was the anticipated timeframe for the issuance of the final HIPAA rule. Recent comments from federal officials indicate that this might be a bit optimistic. At the annual Safeguarding Health Information: Building Assurance through HIPAA Security conference, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for… Continue Reading
HIPAA/HITECH Final Rules Received by OMB
Posted in RulemakingFinally. The Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) has received the long-awaited Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification Rules. The estimated timeframe is approximately 90 days for OMB to undertake its review. We hope to have the final rules by the end of June.
CMS Announces Proposed Stage 2 Meaningful Use Requirements
Posted in RulemakingOn Thursday, February 23, 2012, CMS announced the proposed Stage 2 requirements for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (“HER”) Incentive Programs. See Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Federal Register. Under HITECH, eligible health care professionals (“EPs”), eligible hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (collectively “hospitals”) can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments when they… Continue Reading
FINAL HITECH RULES IMMINENT: ARE YOU READY?
Posted in RulemakingThe Office of Civil Rights has set a March 2012 target date for release of the long-awaited final HITECH rules. These rules amend HIPAA’s privacy and security regulations, and put real teeth into the government’s HIPAA enforcement efforts as they relate to non-compliance by health care providers (as well as other covered entities) and their… Continue Reading