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Medical Privacy Rules Causing Confusion

New privacy rules instated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are causing confusion for many medical practitioners across the country. The overwhelming majority of problems appear to be the result of misunderstanding the law's requirements or erring on the side of withholding information to avoid inadvertently violating the new restrictions. Thus, while the regulations ensure the security of medical records, they are causing headaches for insurers, physicians and patients seeking information.

Patient Privacy Rules Bring Wide Confusion Washington Post, August 18, 2003