Corporate Compliance

GAO criticizes HHS’ progress on privacy

Healthcare Auditing Weekly, February 20, 2007

HHS should address "key privacy principles" to ensure success in nationwide health information exchange initiatives, according to a report issued in January by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Although protecting privacy is a clear objective of HHS, "an overall approach for integrating the department's various privacy-related initiatives has not been fully defined and implemented," the GAO noted in the report. The GAO recommended that HHS establish a comprehensive privacy approach that

  • sets milestones for integration
  • designates an entity responsible for ensuring the outcome of privacy-related initiatives
  • ensures that the entity addresses privacy-related challenges
    • In a response letter, HHS disagreed with the GAO's call for a series of milestones. "HHS is very much on track to define solutions that will provide solid protection of health information while concurrently improving the quality of care through the adoption of interoperable health [information technology]," HHS' Assistant Secretary for Legislation Vincent Ventimiglia asserted.

    Click here for more information.

      Strategies for Health Care Compliance

    • Strategies for Health Care Compliance

      News and real-life examples to increase the effectiveness of your compliance program. Strategies for Health Care Compliance...

    • Compliance Monitor

      This HTML e-mail newsletter delivers news on Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse, as well as recent documents and targets...

    • Medicare Weekly Update

      Each issue of Medicare Weekly Update includes the latest CMS proposed and final rules, CMS manual revisions, and...

    • Medicare Update for Physician Services

      Medicare Update for Physician Services is a free, monthly e-zine that delivers news and information to help physician...

    Most Popular

    Related Articles