New HIPAA privacy rulings announced today by HHS expand HIPAA requirements beyond doctors and insurance companies to business associates of any entities that receive protected health information, such as contractors and subcontractors. This will create a need for changes in EMR HIPAA requirements. Information handed off to contractors and subcontractors will need to be encrypted and treated differently. When considering medical software vendors for EMR and medical practice management software, ask them if their software is prepared to implement the new HIPAA requirements.
Among the other changes:
- Individuals paying providers in cash can ask providers not to share treatment information with their health plan
- Patients are entitled to a copy of their EMR / PHR in an electronic form
Changes will need to be made to many parts of a comprehensive EMR, including billing modules and emr Patient Portals, to accommodate these changes.
