Office for Civil Rights

Current and Previously Posted What's New Items

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September 2004

Health Information Privacy

• Expiration Date for CMP Procedures Rule Extended to September 2005 [PDF – 48KB] [TXT – 8KB] - 9/16/04

August 2004

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• CMS State Medicaid Directors Letter on "Money Follows the Person" - 8/17/04
• OCR enters into agreement on TANF and disability issues with Oregon Department of Human Services - 8/6/04

Health Information Privacy

• New FAQ on State Public Records Laws - 8/24/04
• Fact Sheet: Privacy and Your Health Information - 8/17/04
• Fact Sheet: Your Health Information Privacy Rights - 8/17/04

July 2004

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• Executive Order: Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness - 7/22/04
• OCR and ACF enter into agreement with State of Ohio and Hamilton County, Ohio regarding nondiscrimination on the basis of race in adoption and foster care - 7/21/04 Summary, Agreement, Letter of Findings - 10/20/03
• Statement by Tommy G. Thompson Secretary of Health and Human Services Regarding the 14th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act - July 2, 2004
• 40th Anniversary Commemoration of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - July 2004

Health Information Privacy

• New FAQ on Disclosing PHI to Law Enforcement - 7/26/04

June 2004

Health Information Privacy

• The Privacy Rule and Alcohol/Substance Abuse Progams - June 2004

May 2004

Health Information Privacy

• Sign up for new OCR Privacy Listserv - 5/18/04
• Using OCR resources to fight myths about the Privacy Rule- 5/18/04

April 2004

Health Information Privacy

• New FAQs on Compliance Date for Small Health Plans - 4/6/04
• New FAQ on Compliance Date for Certain Business Associate Agreements - 4/6/04
• New FAQ on Using Telecommunications Relay Services - 4/7/04
• The Privacy Rule and Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act Grantees - April 2004

February 2004

Health Information Privacy

• Sharing PHI with Medical Device Companies - 2/4/04
• Disclosures to Persons, such as Red Cross, to Notify Family - 2/4/04

December 2003

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• Federal Register Notice: Comment Period for revised LEP Guidance extended to January 6, 2004 [PDF - 33KB] - 12/16/2003

November 2003

Health Information Privacy

• More FAQs on Facility Directories and Disclosures to Family and Friends - 11/4/03
• More FAQs on Sharing PHI for Treatment - 11/4/03

October 2003

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• OCR issues Letter of Findings regarding Hamilton County, Ohio and the State of Ohio, finding discrimination on the basis of race in foster and adoption care - Director's Statement [DOC - 29KB] - 10/21/2003 / OCR Letter of Findings - [PDF - 5.4M]. Note: the Letter of Findings uses pseudonyms to protect personal privacy

September 2003

Health Information Privacy

• More FAQs on Authorizations - 9/24/03
• New combined regulation text for privacy, security, and enforcement rules, unofficial version [PDF -2.8MB] - 9/12/03

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• Federal Register Correction: Deadline for comments on revised LEP guidance is December 8, 2003 - 9/30/03

August 2003

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• OCR and ACF disseminate self-assessment tool to facilitate non-discrimination in foster care and adoption - 8/5/03
• Revised Title VI LEP Guidance for Recipients Published in the Federal Register

July 2003

Health Information Privacy

• New OCR page targets small providers - 7/23/03

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• OCR publishes common fact sheets in several additional languages - 7/10/03

April 2003

Health Information Privacy

• Complaint fact sheet and complaint form in Spanish/en Español - 4/29/03
• Interim Final Rule: Civil Money Penalties Procedures [PDF] [DOC] - 4/17/03
• Protecting the Privacy of Patients' Health Information Fact Sheet - 4/14/03

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• Complaint fact sheet and complaint form in Spanish/en Español - 4/29/03

March 2003

Health Information Privacy

• Notice of Addresses for Submission of HIPAA Health Information Privacy Complaints published in Federal Register - March 20, 2003
  • Federal Register Notice in [Txt - 8K] | [PDF - 38K]
• New Privacy Rule FAQs Posted - March 13, 2003
• OCR Frequently Asked Questions on the Privacy Rule are now searchable – March 13, 2003
• Notice of Address for Submission of Requests for Preemption Exception Determinations Published in the Federal Register – March 11, 2003

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• OCR has released a new document, "Delivering on the Promise: OCR's Compliance Activities Promote Community Integration," summarizing the satisfactory resolution of more than 100 "most integrated setting" complaints filed with OCR by individuals with disabilities. OCR is producing this document in accord with HHS' commitment to broadly disseminate individual accounts of how civil rights activities have facilitated the community integration of prople with disabilities - March 28, 2003
• Delivering on the Promise: Compilation of Individual Federal Agency Reports of Actions to Eliminate Barriers and Promote Community Integration - 3/25/02

February 2003

Health Information Privacy

• HHS Adopts final security standards for protecting individually identifiable health information when it is maintained or transmitted electronically by health plans, certain health care providers and health care clearinghouses.
  Press release Final rule - February 13, 2003.
• HHS Adopts final modifications to the transaction standards, which health plans, certain health care providers and health care clearinghouses by law must use for electronic health care transactions. Press release Final rule - February 13, 2003.

January 2003

Health Information Privacy

• Register now for HHS' National Conferences on the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The Office for Civil Rights will conduct four conferences to discuss and respond to questions on the Privacy Rule in February and March 2003 in San Diego, Atlanta, New York and Chicago. - January 27, 2003

December 2002

Health Information Privacy

• OCR Guidance Explaining Significant Aspects of the Privacy Rule - December 4, 2002

October 2002

Health Information Privacy

• Am I a covered entity?   HHS helps answer this question with a new easy-to-use question and answer decision tool. - October 25, 2002
• Complete Regulation Text for Privacy Rule (Parts 160 and 164), as modified (05/31/02, 08/14/02), - Unofficial version [PDF - 2.5M] - October 8, 2002

March 2002

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• Delivering on the Promise: Compilation of Individual Federal Agency Reports of Actions to Eliminate Barriers and Promote Community Integration - 3/25/02

June 2001

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination

• Executive Order 13217, "Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with Disabilities" - 6/18/01

Last revised: September 16, 2004

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