New Final “Breach” Rules under HIPAA

On January 25, 2013, the final rules designed to bring Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy, security, and breach notification rules up to date were published in the Federal Register. The breach notification rules issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will require that beginning this fall, employer health plans—or their business associates—make more comprehensive and methodical risk assessments following the discovery of an impermissible use or disclosure of unsecured protected health information.

For an in-depth analysis of the new HIPAA breach standards, click here.