2003 Office for Civil Rights News Room

December 2003

• Federal Register Notice: Comment Period for revised LEP Guidance
  extended to January 6, 2004 [PDF] - 12/16/2003

November 2003

• New Frequently Asked Questions on Facility Directories and Disclosures to Family and Friends - 11/4/03
• New Frequently Asked Questions on Sharing PHI for Treatment - 11/4/03

October 2003

• OCR issues Letter of Findings regarding Hamilton County, Ohio and the State of Ohio, finding discrimination on the basis of race in foster and adoption care - Director's Statement [PDF - 29KB] - 10/21/2003 / OCR Letter of Findings - [PDF]. Note: the Letter of Findings uses pseudonyms to protect personal privacy

September 2003

• Federal Register Correction: Deadline for comments on revised LEP guidance is December 8, 2003 - 9/30/03
• New Frequently Asked Questions on Authorizations - 9/24/03
• New combined regulation text for privacy, security, and enforcement rules - 9/12/03
• New Frequently Asked Question on Notices that apply to multiple states - 9/4/03

August 2003

• OCR and ACF disseminate self-assessment tool to facilitate non-discrimination in foster care and adoption - 8/5/03
• OCR issues caution about misleading marketing on HIPAA training - 8/4/03

July 2003

• New OCR page targets small providers - 7/21/03
• OCR publishes common fact sheets in several additional languages - 7/10/03

June 2003

• OCR powerpoint presentation from HHS National Conferences on the Privacy Rule - 6/18/03
• New FAQs on drug rebate programs - 6/9/03

April 2003

• How to File a Privacy Complaint Fact Sheet and Privacy Complaint Form posted in Spanish/en Espanol - 4/29/03
• HHS' NIH publishes "Protecting Personal Health Information in Research: Understanding the HIPAA Privacy Rule" [PDF] - 4/17/03
• Interim Final Rule: Civil Money Penalties: Procedures for Investigations, Imposition of Penalties, and Hearings [PDF] - 4/17/03
• Privacy Guidance about Authorizations for Research and Institutional Review Boards [PDF] - 4/16/03
• Protecting the Privacy of Patient's Health Information Fact Sheet - 4/14/03
• OCR new fact sheet How to File a Health Information Privacy Complaint with OCR  - 4/11/03
• OCR posts Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule - 4/11/03
• Statement by Tommy G. Thompson Secretary of Health and Human Services Regarding New Federal Privacy Regulations Press Release - 04/11/03
• CDC and HHS issue guidance about the HIPAA Privacy Rule and Public Health [HTML] - 4/11/03

March 2003

• OCR has released a new document, "Delivering on the Promise: OCR's Compliance Activities Promote Community Integration," summarizing the satisfactory resolution of more than 100 "most integrated setting" complaints filed with OCR by individuals with disabilities. OCR is producing this document in accord with HHS' commitment to broadly disseminate individual accounts of how civil rights activities have facilitated the community integration of people with disabilities - March 28, 2003
• Notice of Addresses for Submission of HIPAA Privacy Complaints published in Federal Register [PDF] - 3/20/03
• New Privacy Frequently Asked Questions Posted - 3/13/03
• OCR Frequently Asked Questions are now searchable - 3/13/03
• Notice of Address for Submission of Requests for Preemption Exception Determination published in Federal Register [PDF] - 3/11/03

February 2003

• HHS Adopts final security standards for protecting individually identifiable health information when it is maintained or transmitted electronically by health plans, certain health care providers and health care clearinghouses.
  Press Release|Final rule - 2/13/03
• HHS Adopts final modifications to the transaction standards, which health plans, certain health care providers and health care clearinghouses by law must use for electronic health care transactions. Final rule - 2/13/03

January 2003

• OCR will conduct four conferences to discuss and respond to questions on the Privacy Rule in February and March 2003 in San Diego, Atlanta, New York, and Chicago - 1/27/03