The HIPAA Omnibus Rule

HIPAA rules and regulations were significantly updated and more clearly defined through the passage of the HIPAA Omnibus Rule, also known as the HIPAA final rule.  The final rule bolsters the privacy and security rules for protected health information established under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

As of January 27, 2013, this overhauled version of the HIPAA compliance laws were put into place, giving the HITECH act more teeth in terms of imposing consequences for failure to comply with HIPAA.  The Omnibus Rule was intended to better protect patient privacy through additional regulations and by implementing audits with associated fines for being found negligent in complying with HIPAA regulations.

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