At the HHS Office for Civil Rights, we believe patient privacy is essential to ensuring high quality reproductive health care. HHS OCR is encouraging HIPAA covered entities and business associates to begin implementing the new HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy to help protect patient privacy and ensure compliance later this year. To aid in this, we have compiled resources for both community members and HIPAA Covered Entities or Business Associates.
- For resources to help communicate with stakeholders and community members click here.
- For a fact sheet summary of the rule click here (en español).
- To hear directly about the rule from Director Melanie Fontes Rainer click here (en español).
- To view a recorded briefing by Deputy Director for Health Information Privacy, Data and Cybersecurity Timothy Noonan click here.
- For a model attestation for a requested use or disclosure of protected health information potentially related to reproductive health care click here.
The effective date of the Final Rule was June 25, 2024. This is the date that HIPAA covered entities and their business associates may begin implementing the new requirements. Covered entities and business associates are not required to comply with the new requirements until December 23, 2024, except for the new changes to the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices which has a compliance date of by February 16, 2026.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights