AHA calls on CMS to rethink HIPAA rule change

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider its accounting of disclosures rule included in proposed changes to the HIPAA privacy rule. In an open letter to HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, the AHA argued that the rule failed to balance privacy interests with compliance burdens. The AHA also requested that HHS engage with medical groups to develop a consensus-driven solution before moving forward with the regulation. Other groups, including the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and CHIME have also called on the government to reconsider the rule.