[Med-privacy] Health-e Information Technology Act of 2008

[peter marshall]

--Apple-Mail-3--308880717
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset=WINDOWS-1252;
	format=flowed

Chairman of the House Health Subcommittee Representative Peter Stark=20
(D-CA) introduced the latest health information technology bill, the=20
=93Health-e Information Technology Act of 2008,=94 (H.R. 6898) on =
September=20
15.=A0 Among other provisions, the legislation strengthens some aspects=20=

of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996=20
(HIPAA).=A0 For example, it provides a tiered criminal penalty structure=20=

for HIPAA violations by individuals who may or may not be associated=20
with business entities that handle patient information.=A0 The bill also=20=

improves the HHS Office for Civil Rights=92 (OCR) enforcement efforts by=20=

requiring a formal investigation of complaints and imposing civil=20
penalties for violations rising to the level of willful neglect that=20
are not corrected within 30 days.=A0 H.R. 6898, however, does not =
include=20
a private right of action for individuals who have been harmed by=20
breaches of HIPAA, but instead authorizes state attorneys general to=20
enforce federal privacy and security laws.=A0 Currently, the House=20
Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation is considering the=20
legislation.=A0

[NHeLP]=

--Apple-Mail-3--308880717
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/enriched;
	charset=WINDOWS-1252

<bigger>Chairman of the House Health Subcommittee Representative Peter
Stark (D-CA) introduced the latest health information technology bill,
the =93Health-e Information Technology Act of 2008,=94 (H.R. 6898) on
September 15.=A0 Among other provisions, the legislation strengthens
some aspects of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act of 1996 (HIPAA).=A0 For example, it provides a tiered criminal
penalty structure for HIPAA violations by individuals who may or may
not be associated with business entities that handle patient
information.=A0 The bill also improves the HHS Office for Civil Rights=92
(OCR) enforcement efforts by requiring a formal investigation of
complaints and imposing civil penalties for violations rising to the
level of willful neglect that are not corrected within 30 days.=A0 H.R.
6898, however, does not include a private right of action for
individuals who have been harmed by breaches of HIPAA, but instead
authorizes state attorneys general to enforce federal privacy and
security laws.=A0 Currently, the House Subcommittee on Technology and
Innovation is considering the legislation.=A0


[NHeLP]</bigger>=

--Apple-Mail-3--308880717--