Partner Kirk Nahra spoke with HealthcareInfoSecurity to discuss recent HIPAA-related moves by federal regulators, noting that while recent actions aim to improve health information sharing and care coordination during the COVID-19 outbreak, some of the actions could create even more confusion.
Nahra addressed additional topics including:
- The potential impact of HIPAA waivers issued by HHS' Office for Civil Rights;
- Privacy and security considerations for healthcare entities as COVID-19 testing expands nationwide;
- Recent HHS OCR guidance about COVID-19-related patient information disclosures to first responders and public health authorities;
- The potential impact of the COVID-19 crisis on regulatory deadlines contained in HHS' recently issued final rules pertaining to patient access, interoperability and information blocking;
- A provision in Congress' pending COVID-19 stimulus package regarding disclosures of records relating to substance use disorders;
- OCR's long-term plans to modify the HIPAA rules.
