HHS: Entities need 32M hours to comply with HIPAA omnibus bill

Entities will require about 32.1 million hours to comply with the HIPPA omnibus bill, set to go into effect Sept. 23, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The HHS notice reports that compliance will require, among all activities:

  • 3.65 million hours for healthcare provider dissemination and acknowledgement of notice of privacy practices for protected health information (PHI);
  • 700,000 hours for organizational uses and disclosures for which individual authorization is required;
  • 416,667 hours for notice of privacy practices for PHI;
  • 350,000 hours for documentation of security rule policies and procedures and administrative safeguards;
  • 278,333 hours for distribution of notice of privacy practices for PHI;
  • 125,000 hours for business associates to establish/modify business associate agreements with subcontractors; and
  • 77,444 hours for providers to revise the notice of privacy practices.

About a year following the Sept. 23 compliance date, HHS is scheduled to begin a formal audit program on Oct. 1, 2014.

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