CHIME, MGMA rap proposed HIPAA regulations

Organizations representing hospital CIOs and managers of group physician practices have serious reservations with a proposed HIPAA regulation that would give patients the right to see a report of who has viewed their medical records and other health data. Both the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives and the Medical Group Management Association said the "accounting for disclosures" rule asks too much of healthcare providers already grappling with implementing electronic health records and preparing to convert to with ANSI X-12 5010 transactions and ICD-10 coding. "CHIME believes the administrative burdens and related costs needed to compile, transmit, and then explain the proposed … access reports would divert the same resources needed to accomplish other important initiatives, including EHR Meaningful Use, and ICD-10 and HIPAA 5010 implementation, while providing very little value to patients," according to comments the Ann Arbor, MI-based organization submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.