Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Main Content Skip to Footer
search play2 play3 facebook twitter linkedin2 cross instagram
ASCP
  • DASHBOARD
  • STORE
  • LOGOUT
  • STORE
  • LOGIN
Menu
  • Membership
    • Membership Overview
      • Become a Member
      • Member Testimonials
    • Member Resources
      • My Dashboard
      • Manage My Education
      • Renew My Membership
      • Member Center
      • Find a Mentorship
      • Councils & Committees
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Awards & Recognition
      • Member Rewards
      • Lab Week
      • ASCP News
    • My Role
      • Pathologist
      • Laboratory Professional
      • Pathology Resident
      • Residency Program Director
      • Lab Sciences Program Director
      • Laboratory Science Student
      • Medical Student
    • Career Resources
      • Find a Job
      • Post a Job
      • Find a Pathology Fellowship
      • Post a Fellowship
      • Learn About Careers
      • Scholarships & Grants
  • Learning
    • Learning Overview
    • Certificate Programs
      • Lab Management University
      • University of Path Informatics
      • Leadership Institute
    • Live Events
      • ASCP Annual Meeting
      • Virtual Pathology Grand Rounds
      • KnowledgeLab
    • Resources
      • Access My Education
      • Manage CMP
      • Manage CC
    • ASCPedia
    • Online Education
      • Online CE Packages
      • LabQ
      • Case Reports
      • Resident Question Bank (RQB)
      • MLS Online Review Course
      • Webcasts
      • Patient Safety
      • Featured Education
    • Quality Improvement & Quality Assurance
      • Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
      • National Pathology Quality Registry (NPQR)
      • CheckPath
      • GYN Assessment
      • Non-GYN Assessment
      • GYN Proficiency Testing
    • Books & Journals
      • Books
      • American Journal of Clinical Pathology (AJCP)
      • Lab Medicine
      • Critical Values
    • ACCME ACCREDITATION
  • Advocacy & Outreach
    • Institute For Science Technology, and Public Policy
      • ASCP Policy Efforts
      • Choosing Wisely
      • Guidelines & Resources
      • Workforce Initiatives
      • ePolicy News
    • Center For Global Health
      • Overview
      • Communicable Diseases (HIV)
      • Non-Communicable Diseases (Cancer)
      • Volunteer with CGH
    • ASCP Foundation
      • Make a Donation
      • Providing Scholarships, Grants, & Fellowships
      • Improving Global Health
      • Increasing Lab Visibility
      • ASCP General Fund
      • Ways to Donate
    • Get Involved
      • Discover Opportunities to Get Involved
      • Foster Diversity & Inclusion
      • ASCP Councils & Committees
      • Career Ambassadors
      • Pathology Ambassadors
      • Discover Mentorships
      • Apply to Volunteer
    • Laboratory Excellence
      • Leading Laboratories
      • National Pathology Quality Registry (NPQR)
      • Awards & Recognition
      • Lab Week
    • Patient Champions
  • About ASCP
    • About ASCP
      • ASCP Mission
      • Supporting Our Members
      • ASCP Foundation
      • Community Efforts
      • Work at ASCP
    • Contact Us
  • Board of Certification
    • BOC home
    • About The BOC
      • About the BOC
        • BOC Structure
          • BOC Mission
          • BOC Partners
          • Contact BOC
          • Appeals
        • News and Reports
          • Transition of MT/MLS and MP/MB
          • Newsletters
          • BOC Awards
          • Lab Hero Interviews
          • Statistics / Practice Analyses
      • What We Do
        • Our Services
          • Certs & Quals
          • CMP
          • Verify Credentials
      • Governance
        • Committees
          • Exam Committee
          • Board of Governors
        • International Governance
          • Advisory Boards
          • Collaborating Societies
      • Volunteer
        • Volunteer Opportunities
          • Exam Committees
          • International Volunteer Opportunities
          • ASCP
    • Get Credentialed
      • Certification Exam Process
        • Get Ready to Apply
          • General Information
          • Determine Category & Route
          • Compare US & International Certification
        • Gather Documentation
          • US Certification
          • International Certication
          • US Military
        • Before Exam
          • Schedule a Date
          • Study Materials
        • Exam Day
          • The Test Center
          • The Examination
        • After Exam
          • Pass The Exam
          • Fail The Exam
      • U.S. Certifications
        • Highest Volume
          • HT
          • MLS
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technician
          • HT
          • MLA
          • MLT
          • PBT
          • DPT
        • Technologist/Scientists
          • BB
          • C
          • CG
          • CT
          • H
          • HTL
          • M
          • MB
          • MLS
        • Specialist
          • SBB
          • SC
          • SCT
          • SCYM
          • SH
          • SM
          • SMB
        • Additional
          • DLM
          • PA
      • International Certifications
        • Highest Volume
          • MB
          • MLS
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technician
          • HT
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technologist/Scientists
          • BB
          • MB
          • MLS
          • C
          • CG
          • CLM
          • CT
          • CTGYN
          • H
          • HLT
          • M
        • Specialist
          • SBB
          • SC
          • SCT
          • SCYM
          • SH
          • SM
          • SMB
      • Qualifications
        • Get Ready to Apply
          • General Information
          • Determine Category and Exam Route
          • Gather Document
        • Examination
          • Take the Exam
          • Pass the Exam
          • Fail the Exam
        • Qualifications
          • QBRS
          • QDP
          • QIA
          • QIHC
          • QLS
      • State Licensure
        • California State Licensure
          • California State Licensure Only
          • ASCP Certification & CA Licensure
          • Already ASCP Certified
        • New York State Licensure
          • New York State Licensure Only
          • ASCP Certification & NY Licensure
          • Already ASCP Certified
        • Additional Licensure States
          • Florida
          • Hawaii
          • Louisiana
          • Montana
          • Nevada
          • North Dakota
          • Tennesee
          • West Virginia
          • Puerto Rico
    • Stay Credentialed
      • Information About CMP
        • CMP Overview
          • CMP Process
          • Synchronize Multiple Credentials
        • Credential Status
          • Mandatory
          • Voluntary
          • Expired
          • Inactive
        • How to Manage Points
          • How to Earn Points
          • How to Record Points
          • Suggested CE Providers
          • When to Submit a Declaration
          • COVID Related CE Form
      • U.S. Certifications
        • Highest Volume
          • HT
          • MLS
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technician
          • HT
          • MLA
          • MLT
          • PBT
          • AT
          • DPT
        • Technologist/Scientists
          • BB
          • C
          • CG
          • CT
          • H
          • HTL
          • M
          • MB
          • MLS
        • Specialist
          • SBB
          • SC
          • SCT
          • SCYM
          • SH
          • SM
          • SMB
          • HP
          • SLS
          • SV
        • Additional
          • DLM
          • PA
      • International Certifications
        • Highest Volume
          • MB
          • MLS
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technician
          • HT
          • MLT
          • PBT
        • Technologist/Scientists
          • BB
          • C
          • CG
          • CLM
          • CT
          • CTGYN
          • H
          • HTL
          • M
          • MB
          • MLS
        • Specialist
          • SBB
          • SC
          • SCT
          • SCYM
          • SH
          • SM
          • SMB
      • Qualifications
        • Qualifications
          • QBRS
          • QDP
          • QIA
          • QIHC
          • QLI
          • QLS
    • Verify Credentials
      • General Information
        • Topics
          • Citation of Credentials
          • Fraudulent Use of Credentials
          • Replacement Wall Certificates
      • How to Verify
        • Options for Verifying Credentials
          • Getting Started
          • For Certification/Qualification
          • For State Licensure
          • For Visa Screen
          • Place an Order
    • Program Directors
      • Program Director Resources
        • Resources
          • BOC Resources
          • Accreditation Agencies
      • Manage Your Students
        • Tools & Reports
          • Tools for Students
          • EEV
          • PPR
      • Certification Information
        • Exams Offered
          • Certification Exams
          • HT/HTL
          • Military Certifications
          • Phlebotomy Programs
  • News
  • News
  • News Archive
  • Groups
  • Jobs
  • ASCP
  • News Archive
  • News Detail

HHS Proposes Significant Value-Based Care Changes to HIPAA Privacy Rule

Publication Date: Jan 28, 2021

As its days dwindle down, the administration is mobilizing for one final push to reduce what it perceives to be unnecessarily burdensome regulation, including on the medical privacy front. On December 10, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to modify the HIPAA and HITECH Act Privacy Rule.

The Proposed Privacy Act Changes 

As with the recent kickback regulations, the OCR Privacy Rule initiative is designed to clear the path for value-based health care. Specifically, the NPRM proposes to modify the Privacy Rule to expand the scope of permissible disclosures of protected health information (PHI), i.e., PHI disclosures permitted without the individual’s consent, to include disclosures that will promote care coordination and case management communications among individuals and labs, hospitals and other HIPAA covered entities. Key changes proposed:

  • Clarifying the definitions of the key terms “electronic health record” and “personal health application”; 
  • Shortening the response time for patient health record requests from 30 days to 15 days (with a 15-day extension under limited circumstances);
  •  Making it easier patients or their personal representatives to verify their identity when requesting access to their PHI or exercising another Privacy Rule right; 
  • Creating an exception to the “minimum necessary” standard for individual level care coordination and case management uses and disclosures; 
  • Clarifying the minimum necessary standard with respect to care coordination and case management activities;
  • Removing obsolete parts of the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) requirements;
  • Amending the permissible fee structure for responding to patient health record requests and requires covered entities to post estimated fees on their website for access and for disclosures with a patient’s authorization;
  • Making it easier for family and caregiver to be involved in the care of individuals experiencing emergencies or health crises; and
  • Modifying provisions on individuals’ rights of access to PHI.

Takeaway

The deadline to comment on the NPRM is March 11, 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register. If it’s finalized—and that’s a big “if” considering that a new administration will be in control—the final rule would take effect 60 days after it’s published. Labs and other covered entities and their business associates would have until the “compliance date” to establish and implement policies and practices to achieve compliance with any new or modified standards. Among other things, you’d then have to:

  • Update your information privacy policies and procedures and train lab employees on the changes; 
  • Revise your Notice of Privacy Practices; and
  • Renegotiate business associate agreements to comply with the new requirements.

NIR will keep an eye on things and explain how to do each of the above when and if it appears that the changes are really going to happen.

**************

This article originally appeared in G2 Intelligence, National Intelligence Report, January 2021.

To learn more about ePolicy News and access past newsletters and articles, click here.

For more information regarding ASCP's advocacy initiatives and policy positions, please contact ASCP's Center for Public Policy at (202) 408-1110.

sponsors_hologic
 ASCP ePolicy News is supported by an unrestricted grant from Hologic.

Footer
  • Membership
    • Membership Overview
    • Member Resources
    • My Role
    • Career Resources
  • Learning
    • Online Education
    • Certificate Programs
    • Quality Improvement & Quality Assurance
    • Live Events
    • Books & Journals
    • Resources
    • ASCPedia
    • ACCME Accreditation
  • Advocacy & Outreach
    • Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy
    • Center for Global Health
    • ASCP Foundation
    • Patient Champions
    • Get Involved
  • About ASCP
    • Contact Us
    • Chat with Us
  • Board Of Certification
    • Get Credentialed
    • Stay Credentialed
    • Verify Credentials
    • Program Directors
    • About the BOC
  • News
    • ePolicy News
Chicago (Headquarters)
33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60603

Privacy Policy 

Terms of Use

Follow Us

Copyright ©2021 by American Society for Clinical Pathology. All Rights Reserved.

Live Chat

First Name*
Last Name*
Email*
Customer ID