South Carolina Medical Association Files Suit Against HHS Privacy Rules
The South Carolina Medical Association has filed suit against HHS to overturn new medical privacy rules that regulate access to medical records, the AP/Washington Post reports. The association, which represents 6,000 physicians, says the rules are unconstitutional because they were drafted "with little congressional input." The association also calls the rules "burdensome," saying they will increase costs, "create more paperwork and impede hospital pre-admission procedures." SCMA President J. Capers Hiott said, "What we are filing is based on a constitutional flaw. We're not filing this because we are against anything that has to do with patient privacy. Physicians are one of the staunch supporters of patient privacy." With the lawsuit, SCMA hopes to prevent the rules from taking effect and to "send them back to Congress" so new rules can be drafted with input from providers. HHS would not comment on the lawsuit (Geier, AP/Washington Post, 7/16).
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