Data Privacy and Healthcare Alert: Final Rule implements HITECH revisions to Privacy and Security Rules

The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (OCR) issued an omnibus final rule (Final Rule) on January 17, 2013, implementing various provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act or HITECH). The Final Rule revises the Privacy, Security and Enforcement Rules that were previously issued under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the interim final Breach Notification Rule that was previously issued in accordance with the HITECH Act. The Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on January 25, 2013, and is available here.