NRPM: Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information

Federal Register: November 3, 1999

[Proposed Rules]

[Pages 59918-60065]

[DOCID:fr03no99P]

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

45 CFR Parts 160 through 164

Rin: 0991-AB08

Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, DHHS.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: This rule proposes standards to protect the privacy of individually identifiable health information maintained or transmitted in connection with certain administrative and financial transactions. The rules proposed below, which would apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and certain health care providers, propose standards with respect to the rights individuals who are the subject of this information should have, procedures for the exercise of those rights, and the authorized and required uses and disclosures of this information.

The use of these standards would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public and private health programs and health care services by providing enhanced protections for individually identifiable health information. These protections would begin to address growing public concerns that advances in electronic technology in the health care industry are resulting, or may result, in a substantial erosion of the privacy surrounding individually identifiable health information maintained by health care providers, health plans and their administrative contractors. This rule would implement the privacy requirements of the Administrative Simplification subtitle of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

DATES: Comments will be considered if received as provided below, no later than 5 p.m. on January 3, 2000

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments at the following web site: http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/.

Mail comments (1 original, 3 copies, and, if possible, a floppy disk ) to the following address:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation,
Attention: Privacy-P,
Room G-322A, Hubert H. Humphrey Building,
200 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20201.

If you prefer, you may deliver your written comments (1 original, 3 copies, and, if possible, a floppy disk) to the following address:

Room 442E
200 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20201.

See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further information on comment procedures, availability of copies of this document and electronic access to this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roxanne Gibson (202) 260-5083.