HHS announces final HIPAA privacy rule.

Modified led consent requirement retained

On Aug. 9, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the release of its final rules governing the privacy of medical records. The rules were required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and represent the force of law -- not requiring any further amendments.

The rules mirror proposed modifications to the HIPAA privacy rule announced in March, particularly with respect to patient consent requirements (see ADAW, April 1). HITS had proposed in March that providers be allowed to use protected patient information for treatment, payment and health care …