HIPAA PRIVACY: Prepare Now For Heightened Privacy and Notification Protections

Why This Topic Matters

Organizations adopting electronic health records need to understand how privacy and notification obligations changed, since compliance duties can extend beyond internal staff to vendors and other business partners. The article helps readers identify the main policy areas that may need review when federal enforcement and disclosure requirements become stricter.

Article Sections

1. HIPAA compliance risks in the EHR transition

   Introduces the compliance environment surrounding electronic health record adoption and the role of vendor relationships in privacy oversight.

2. Stricter notifications

   Summarizes updated breach-notification expectations and the types of incidents that trigger reporting obligations.

3. Enforcement shift

   Describes the broader enforcement framework affecting covered entities and outside parties involved in safeguarding health information.

4. Eye on disclosures

   Discusses limits on third-party protected health information disclosures and the need to account for disclosure activity.

5. Marketing crackdown

   Notes additional federal attention on the sale of protected health information and related marketing practices.