[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 15, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 69981-69982]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32484]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

45 CFR Parts 160 through 164

RIN 0991-AB08


Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health 
Information

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 
DHHS.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period for proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This notice extends the comment period on a proposed rule 
published in the Federal Register on November 3, 1999 (64 FR 59918). 
The original date that the comment period would end was January 3, 
2000. That date will now be extended until February 17, 2000.
    In that rule, we propose standards to protect the privacy of 
individually identifiable health information maintained or transmitted 
in connection with certain administrative and financial transactions. 
The proposed rules, which would apply to health plans, health care 
clearinghouses, and certain health care providers, proposed standards 
with respect to the rights individuals who are the subject of this 
information should have, procedures for the exercise of those rights, 
and the authorized and required uses and disclosures of this 
information.
    The use of these standards would improve the efficiency and 
effectiveness of public and private health programs and health care 
services by providing enhanced protections for individually 
identifiable health information. These protections would begin to 
address growing public concerns that advances in electronic technology 
in the health care industry are resulting, or may result, in a 
substantial erosion of the privacy surrounding individually 
identifiable health information maintained by health care providers, 
health plans and their administrative contractors. This rule would 
implement the privacy requirement of the Administrative Simplification 
subtitle of the Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 
1996.

DATES: The comment period is extended to no later than 5 p.m. on 
February 17, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments at the following web site: http:/
/aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/.
    Mail comments (1 original, 3 copies, and, if possible, a floppy 
disk) to the following address: U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Attention: 
Privacy-P, Room G-322A, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, 200 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201.
    If you prefer, you may deliver your written comments (1 original, 3 
copies, and, if possible, a floppy disk) to the following address: Room 
442E, 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201.
    See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further information 
on comment procedures, availability of copies of this document and 
electronic access to this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Roxanne Gibson (202) 260-5083.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Reason for extension, comment procedures, 
availability of copies, and electronic access.
    Reason for extension: We originally proposed a 60-day period for 
public comment of this proposed rule. The original comment period would 
have closed on January 3, 2000. Because of the scope of the proposed 
rule, the significant implications for the health care system and the 
substantial public interest in the proposed rule, we believe that 
additional time would allow for more informative and thoughtful 
comments. Therefore, we are extending the comment period until February 
15, 2000.
    Comment procedures: All comments should include the full name, 
address and telephone number of the sender or a knowledgeable point of 
contact. Written comments should include 1 original and 3 copies. If 
possible, please send an electronic version of the comments on a 3\1/2\ 
inch DOS format floppy disk in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format 
(PDF) (preferred) HTML, ASCII text, or popular word processor format 
(Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect).
    Because of staffing and resource limitations, we cannot accept 
comments by electronic mail or facsimile (FAX) transmission, and all 
comments and content are to be limited to the 8.5 wide by 11.0 high 
vertical (also referred to as ``portrait'') page orientation. 
Additionally, it is requested that if identical/duplicate comment 
submissions are submitted both electronically and in paper form that 
each submission clearly indicate that it is a duplicate submission. In 
each comment, please specify the section of this proposed rule to which 
the comment applies.
    Comments received in a timely fashion will be available for public

[[Page 69982]]

inspection, as they are received, generally beginning approximately 
three weeks after publication of a document in Room 442E of the 
Department's offices at 200 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20201 on Monday through Friday of each week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
(phone: 202-260-5083).
    After the close of the comment period, comments submitted 
electronically and written comments that we are technically able to 
convert will be posted on the Administrative Simplification web site 
(http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/).
    Copies: To order copies of the Federal Register containing this 
document, send your request to: New Orders, Superintendent of 
Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Specify the date 
of the issue requested and enclose a check or money order payable to 
the Superintendent of Documents, or enclose your Visa or Master Card 
number and expiration date. Credit card orders can also be placed by 
calling the order desk at (202) 512-1800 or by fax to (202) 512-2250. 
The cost for each copy is $8.00. As an alternative, you can view and 
photocopy the Federal Register document at most libraries designated as 
Federal Depository Libraries and at many other public and academic 
libraries throughout the country that receive the Federal Register.
    Electronic Access: This document is available electronically at 
http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/ as well as at the web site of the 
Government Printing Office at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su__docs/aces/
aces140.html.

    Note to reader: This proposed rule is one of several proposed 
rules that are being published to implement the Administrative 
Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and 
Accountability Act of 1996. We propose to establish a new 45 CFR 
subchapter C, Parts 160 through 164. Part 160 will consist of 
general provisions, Part 162 will consist of the various 
Administrative Simplification regulations relating to transactions 
and identifiers, and Part 164 will consist of the regulations 
implementing the security and privacy requirements of the 
legislation. Proposed Part 160, consisting of two subparts (Subpart 
A--General Provisions, and Subpart B--Preemption of State Law) will 
be exactly the same in each rule, unless we add new sections or 
definitions to incorporate additional general information in the 
later rules.

    Dated: December 10, 1999.
Donna Shalala,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-32484 Filed 12-10-99; 3:23 pm]
BILLING CODE 4110-60-M