A post on the Health Law Advisor blog will be of interest to many of our readers: “HHS Office for Civil Rights Bulletin on Civil Rights Issues During the COVID-19 Crisis,” by attorneys of Epstein
OCR Requests Comments on Ways to Modify HIPAA
On December 14, 2018 the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) formally issued a Request For Information (“RFI”) seeking public input on “ways to modify the HIPAA Rules to remove regulatory obstacles and decrease regulatory burdens in order to facilitate efficient care coordination and/or case management and to promote the
As More Health Care Employers Adopt Mandatory Vaccine Policies, DOJ and HHS Push Back on Behalf of Individual Workers
In the midst of one of the worst flu seasons to date, many hospitals and other health care organizations enforced mandatory flu vaccine policies for their employees to boost vaccination rates. However, recent litigation and governmental actions should serve as a reminder that health care entities should carefully consider safeguards whenever implementing mandatory vaccine policies
Executive Order Addressing Cybersecurity Amidst FBI Uproar
Surprisingly amidst the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uproar, President Trump today signed an executive order addressing cybersecurity for the federal government and critical infrastructure, along with international coordination and cyber deterrence. The substance of the order, which is about to be made public, comes from various press releases and interviews with administration officials. The
Transgender Teenager’s Death Leads to ACA § 1557 Discrimination Suit Against Hospital
Kyler Prescott was a 14 year old transgender boy who was receiving puberty-delaying medication to help him transition. Shortly before Kyler’s death he had “suicidal ideation” and was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego in April 2015. The hospital has a Gender Management Clinic to provide services to children with gender dysphoria and
OCR Hones in on Smaller HIPAA Breaches
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”), the agency tasked with enforcing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), recently announced that it will redouble its efforts to investigate smaller breaches of Protected Health Information (“PHI”) that affect fewer than five-hundred (500) individuals.
It has been