HHS issues seven nonconformity letters in crackdown on health data blocking
The Department of Health and Human Services has issued seven nonconformity letters to entities found to be blocking patients' access to their electronic health information. The action reflects federal enforcement of information-blocking regulations that require health data to flow more freely to patients.
Why this matters: Patients have a legal right to their own health records, but health systems and vendors have found plenty of ways to slow-walk or restrict that access. These letters mean HHS is actually using its enforcement tools, not just writing rules. That matters if you have ever tried to get your records out of a hospital portal and hit a wall. The pressure here runs in the right direction — toward patients controlling their own data — but enforcement letters are only as meaningful as what follows them.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · Healthcare professionals
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