Health Information Management

House subcommittee approves EHR privacy bill

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, July 7, 2008

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The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee approved a health IT bill that would increase EHR privacy protections, Government Health IT reported June 25.
 
The Protecting Records, Optimizing Treatment and Easing Communication Through Healthcare Technology Act of 2008 (H.R. 6357), now advances to the full committee.
 
The bill’s marketing and consent provisions remain subjects of debate. The marketing provision would prohibit companies from using health records to market products and services to individuals and the consent provision would prohibit providers from using or disclosing PHI for healthcare operations purposes without patient consent.
 
Government Health IT saysthe bill also seeks to:
  • Establish in law the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT
  • Create a health IT policy advisory committee and another health IT standards advisory committee
  • Require federal agencies to use official standards in new or upgraded health IT systems
  • Create several grant programs
  • Strengthen enforcement of current privacy provisions and extend them to partners who receive healthcare information from medical professionals
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) sponsored the bill, which has bipartisan support.
 
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