HIPAA Blog

[ Wednesday, May 31, 2006 ]

 

HIPAA junior? Here's something to keep an eye on: House Bill 4157, which passed out of subcommittee (Ways and Means - Health) last week. Named the health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2006, it could be a mini-HIPAA. It would statutorily establish the Office of National Coordinator of Healthcare Information Technology (the HIT Czar, previously David Brailer) and push the American Health Information Community and other coordinated efforts to implement HIT, require Stark exceptions and safe harbors for HIT and EMR, require a study of areas of mismatch between federal and state privacy protections (and, if no legislation follows the study after 18 months, allows the Secretary of HHS to promulgate rules -- hmmm, that sounds familiar), and push the updating of the X12 transaction standards. It hasn't passed out of committee, and might not, since it's got some major privacy rights folks in full war dance. But, it warrants watching, that's for sure.

Jeff [4:58 PM]

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