CQ (1/18, Subscription Publication) reports that late Thursday, HHS issued “what they say is the largest expansion of privacy and security protections for patient information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA].” According to an HHS statement, the final omnibus rule “provides individuals new rights to their health information, and strengthens the government’s ability to enforce the law.” Among the regulations included in the rule are “increased penalties for noncompliance based on the level of negligence,” and the right for patients to request “a copy of their electronic medical record in an electronic form.”
