Final HIPAA Rule on Reproductive Health Care Privacy: Impacts for Public Health 

OVERVIEW
May 9, 2024 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. CT
The newly issued Biden Administration HIPAA Final Rule seeks to strengthen privacy protections under HIPAA for protected health information potentially related to reproductive health care. Join Network attorneys as they discuss key provisions, potential implementation challenges and what this means for public health, including how the rule may affect data transfers for public health purposes.
On April 22, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, issued a new HIPAA Final Rule. This rule seeks to strengthen privacy protections under HIPAA for protected health information (PHI) potentially related to reproductive health care. The proposed changes are the latest in a series of steps by the Biden administration addressing the privacy of reproductive health information following the United States Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022.
The Final Rule prohibits PHI disclosure by HIPAA-regulated entities where the released information would be used for the purpose of criminal or civil investigation or enforcement against those seeking or providing lawful reproductive health care. It also adopts a new definition of “public health” applicable to disclosures to public health authorities. Join Network Attorneys as they discuss key provisions, potential implementation challenges and what this means for public health.