HHS Issues Privacy Breach Rules
The federal government is requiring physicians and other entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to notify individuals when their protected health information has been breached. The interim final rule, issued in August, goes into effect this month. Under the rule, physicians have up to 60 calendar days from the detection of unauthorized access of protected health information to notify the patient. If the breach involves more than 500 individuals, the Health and Human Services secretary and a major media outlet in their area must be notified. “This new federal law ensures that covered entities and business associates are accountable to [HHS] and to individuals for proper safeguarding of the private information entrusted to their care,” said Robinsue Frohboese, acting director of the Office of Civil Rights at HHS. “These protections will be a cornerstone of maintaining consumer trust as we move forward with meaningful use of electronic health records and electronic exchange of health information.” But there are exceptions to the breach rules: Notifications are not necessary if the information that was disclosed is unlikely to be retained. For example, if a nurse gives a patient the wrong discharge papers but quickly takes them back, it's reasonable to assume that the patient could not have retained that protected information, according to HHS. More information about the regulation is available at
Osteoporosis Hospitalizations Rise
The hospitalization rate resulting from injuries associated with osteoporosis climbed by 55% between 1995 and 2006, according to data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Hospitalizations from an osteoporosis injury climbed from 55 stays per 100,000 individuals in 1995 to 85 stays per 100,000 individuals in 2006. The increase brought the number of hospital stays up to 254,000 in 2006, resulting in $2.4 billion in hospital costs. Injuries from osteoporosis accounted for about a quarter of the total number of hospital stays associated with a diagnosis of osteoporosis in 2006. Some of the most common injuries reported included spontaneous and stress fractures, hip fractures, pelvic fractures, contusions, and leg and arm fractures. The AHRQ findings are based on a nationally representative sample of community hospitals around the country.
Bill Would Cap Monthly Drug Costs
Patients with rheumatoid diseases could benefit from new federal legislation introduced last month. The Affordable Access to Prescription Medications Act (S. 1630) would establish a national cap on the cost of prescription drugs. Drug costs would be capped at $200 per prescription and $500 per month for all prescriptions, if the bill is enacted. The caps would apply to all public and private insurance plans, including Medicare prescription drug plans, according to Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who introduced the bill. Enacting a national cap on drug expenditures could cut costs in half for some individuals, Sen. Rockefeller estimated. The bill would also expand the Medicare exceptions process to help more patients get access to specialty drugs at lower costs. The bill is supported by the Arthritis Foundation and the Lupus Foundation of America.
Lilly Payment Data Now Public
Eli Lilly & Co. has made good on its promise to publish how much it pays physicians and other health care professionals in consulting fees, honoraria, and the like. The drugmaker detailed the payments for the first quarter of 2009 at
Information Tech Is Growing
The electronic exchange of health information among physicians, hospitals, health plans, and patients has increased substantially, the nonprofit group eHealth Initiative (eHI) found in its annual survey of 150 community-based “health information electronically” initiatives. Respondents reported a nearly 40% increase in the number of initiatives that were advanced enough to be exchanging information. According to eHI, these groups said that information technology is cutting redundant tests, avoiding some medication errors, and reducing staff time spent handling lab results and doing clerical tasks. The federal government is to spend at least $300 million on health information technology over the next 2 years as part of the economic stimulus of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. “We have a great opportunity to expand [health information technology] efforts with the new funding coming out in 2009 and 2010,” said eHI chief operating officer Jennifer Covich in a statement.