The HIPAA Omnibus Rule in a Nutshell

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has published two YouTube videos summarizing the HIPAA omnibus rule, which becomes enforceable on September 23, 2013. In a mere three minutes and 14 seconds, OCR gives providers a high level summary of the key points that covered entities and business associates need to understand. The video is available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX-QL9PoePU. An even shorter video tells patients about their "new and important rights." That video is available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-wV23_E4eQ. The videos cover the provisions of the new rules dealing with topics such as:

• Revisions to the Notice of Privacy Practices;
• Prohibitions on sale of protected health information;
• The right to restrict disclosures to a health plan when services are paid for out-of-pocket;
• The new breach risk assessment provisions; and
• Patients' ability to request a copy of their electronic medical record in electronic form.