ONC and OCR Release Model Notices of Privacy Practices

On September 16, 2013, the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) released model Notices of Privacy Practices (NPPs) for health care providers and health plans. NPPs provide information to individuals about their right to the privacy of their protected health information (PHI), as well as information about the privacy practices of the health plan or provider. The HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule made changes that impact these rights and practices. The Final Rule requires that covered entities:

• Update their NPPs to include these changes;
• Make the NPPs available to new patients/consumers and anyone else who asks for it; and
• Prominently post NPPs on site and on their website (if any).

These requirements must be met by the September 23, 2013 compliance deadline.

The content in the model Notices reflect the regulatory changes made by the Final Rule and can serve as a baseline for covered entities working to come into compliance with the new requirements. The model Notices are available in three different formats and are customizable for users. 

Click here to read the press release and download the model Notices.