8.29.24 An Introduction to HHS Office of Civil Rights and Our Legal Authorities-8.29.24 Slides

8.29.24 Slides

Pdf Summary

The document outlines an overview of recent regulatory updates by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Jamie Rahn Ballay, Regional Manager of the Mid-Atlantic Region, presented the summary on August 29, 2024. It includes information on final rules pertaining to HIPAA and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as well as updates to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.<br /><br />The HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy, effective June 25, 2024, strengthens patient confidentiality, particularly concerning reproductive health information, ensuring it cannot be disclosed to incriminate individuals for lawful reproductive health activities.<br /><br />The final rule regarding Section 1557 of the ACA, effective July 5, 2024, reinstates comprehensive nondiscrimination protections, prohibiting bias based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability in health programs receiving federal assistance. It emphasizes equality in health coverage, language access, and discrimination-free AI usage. The rule also mandates entities to provide notices in the 15 most common languages spoken by individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) in the states they serve and ensure effective communication with individuals with disabilities.<br /><br />Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, updated as of July 8, 2024, modernizes protections for individuals with disabilities, covering areas like medical treatment, accessible technology, and child welfare programs. It includes notable protections for individuals with substance use disorders and requirements for effective communication, emphasizing the provision of auxiliary aids and accessible formats.<br /><br />Essential updates from these rules enhance patient rights, ensure nondiscriminatory practices, and improve access to healthcare information and services for individuals with disabilities and LEP.<br /><br />For comprehensive resources, the document references https://www.hhs.gov for detailed information on the respective updates.

Keywords

HHS

OCR

HIPAA

Section 1557

Affordable Care Act

Section 504

Rehabilitation Act

nondiscrimination

reproductive health

disabilities