HHS pledges to work with The App Association to update HIPAA for mobile

ACT | The App Association is pleased to share Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell’s pledge to bring clarity to HIPAA for the mobile world. In her letter to Congress, Secretary Burwell committed to working with The App Association to make the regulatory environment better for mobile health companies.

Secretary Burwell’s pledge came as a response to Congressmen Tom Marino and Peter DeFazio, who outlined several steps HHS should take to update HIPAA guidance documents last fall. This followed outreach from The App Association and leading mobile health companies, who called on Congress to bring clarity to HIPAA. Congressmen Marino and DeFazio were quick to lend their support on the issue, as both have long been champions of mobile innovation and are looked to as leaders on issues facing the tech industry.

The commitment from both Congress and HHS underscores that changes to HIPAA guidances can be made without legislation. Mobile health companies must know how HIPAA applies, and The App Association will continue working to create a better regulatory environment that encourages innovation in this life-changing marketplace.

Coverage: VentureBeat, FierceMobileHealthcare (1), FierceMobileHealthcare (2), Modern Healthcare, mHealthNews, MobiHealthNews, Politico Pro eHealth (sub. req.), HealthITSecurity, JDSupra (1), JDSupra (2), Becker’s Health IT & CIO Review

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