Obama Administration Rewriting Medical Privacy Rules
The New York Times: "The Obama administration is rewriting new rules on medical privacy after an outpouring of criticism from consumer groups and members of Congress who say the rules do not adequately protect the rights of patients. Hospitals and insurance companies, seeking to maintain greater control over patient notification, generally support the rules. ...Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, issued temporary rules, with the force of law, in August last year. ... At the urging of the White House, Ms. Sebelius recently withdrew the rules to allow for further consideration. ... The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a watchdog group, estimates that more than five million people have been affected by breaches of medical information in the last 18 months. Causes include the theft of laptop computers, the loss of paper records, the posting of data on Web sites and the curiosity of hospital employees snooping for information on sports stars and other celebrities" (Pear, 8/22).This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.