At a time when abortion access can vary widely across the U.S., many reproductive health advocates are concerned about the impact of data sharing systems that automatically transmit patients’ electronic health records across institutions and state lines. The Biden administration is looking to introduce new regulations to bolster patients’ privacy — but the proposed rules are getting pushback from companies like UnitedHealth Group and Epic, which argue that they would make data sharing harder overall, contrary to the overarching goals of the health care system.
In April 2023, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) proposed regulations that aim to bolster patient confidentiality by forcing software makers to ensure that health care providers can easily segment and protect specific information from disclosure when requested by patients.
According to the proposal, health records systems will be required to comply with a new privacy and security framework by January 2026.
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