CA proposes medical record privacy rules

The California legislature is considering a new bill that imposes health data privacy protections above and beyond those already required by HIPAA, alarmed by a recent rash of medical record snooping taking place at UCLA Medical Center. Legislators are responding to unauthorized peeping by employees at a wide range of records, including those of celebrities such as California First Lady Maria Shriver, Britney Spears and Farrah Fawcett.

Under a Senate measure, hospitals would be required to draft a plan to protect patient information. Meanwhile, the state would set up a new Office of Health Information Integrity, which would have the power to review plans and violations, as well as assess fines of up to $250,000 against people who violate patient record privacy. A companion bill, for its part, would allow fines of up to $250,000 against providers who breach patient record privacy.

To learn more about the bills:
- read this Los Angeles Times piece

Related Articles:
UCLA's medical record spying problem worse than thought
More UCLA staffers cited for record snooping
UCLA staff accused of viewing Britney Spears' records
Union fights suspensions for viewing star's records
Park Nicollet suspends employees for EMR snooping

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