Last month, we reported that it was being widely reported that HIPAA/HITECH Act Omnibus Final Rule would be issued in March 2012, but that it had not yet been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review under Executive Order 12866.
The federal government website that reports on regulations under review by OMB now reports that the final rule was formally received by OMB for review on Saturday, March 24, 2012. Under Executive Order 12866, OMB has up to 90 days to review final rules.
As a reminder, the omnibus rule is expected to include:
- A final breach notification rule.
- A final HIPAA Enforcement Rule, implementing changes mandated by the HITECH Act.
- A final rule implementing changes in the Privacy and Security Rules mandated by the HITECH Act, as well as other changes to the Privacy Rule proposed in July 2010.
- A final rule implementing changes to the Privacy Rule required by the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
Stay tuned for further developments.
Written by Paula Stannard, Counsel | Alston & Bird LLP