Because HIPAA includes employer-sponsored group health plans under the definition of insurers, employers that sponsor plans are also affected by the GINA amendments to the HIPAA Privacy Rule (“the GINA amendments”). In addition, the GINA amendments will have applicability beyond the insurance industry because they draw distinctions between permissible and impermissible uses of “genetic information” in connection with the diagnosis of a medical condition. Click here to read more about how the new HIPAA rules regarding genetic information affect employers, group health plans, health insurers and healthcare providers.
Duane Morris is issuing a series of Alerts on the 2013 Amendments, including an Overview Summary of the HIPAA Amendments. Please see the in-depth Alerts already distributed by the firm on changes under the 2013 Amendments to the definition of a business associate, changes to the breach notification requirements, key details about the minimum necessary standard and changes to the obligation of group health plans in regards to breaches of protected health information. We will continue to issue Alerts on discrete HIPAA topics.