December 20, 2000

Clinton Issues Medical Privacy Rules

President Clinton will unveil a comprehensive set of medical privacy rules today at the Health and Human Services Department. The rules require that medical service providers obtain written consent from patients before disclosing paper, electronic, or oral records. The rules also give patients the right to inspect and copy their medical records. Patients must also be provided with information-handling practices and have a system to correct errors in their files.

The rules, which carry civil and criminal penalties, take effect in 2003.

Clinton to Unveil New Medical Privacy Rules, The Standard, December 19, 2000.
Clinton Will Issue New Privacy Rules to Shield Patients, The New York Times, December 20, 2000 (Registration required).
U.S. Moves To Cloak Medical Records, The Washington Post, December 20, 2000 (Registration required).
Executive Order, White House Press Secretary, December 20, 2000. Posted by EPIC at December 20, 2000 9:30 AM