Opinion ID: 3014940
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: hipaa

Text: HIPAA was passed by Congress in August 1996 to address a number of issues regarding the national health care and health insurance system. The statutory provisions relevant to the issues in this case are found in Subtitle F of Title II.1 Aimed at “administrative simplification,” HIPAA Sections 261 through 264 provide for “the establishment of standards and requirements for the electronic transmission of certain health 1 HIPAA Title II, Subtitle F comprises sections 261 through 264. Section 261, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 1320d note, states the purpose of the Subtitle. Section 262 amends Title XI of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq., to add Part C, “Administrative Simplification,” with sections 1171-1179, codified at 42 U.S.C. §§ 1320d to 1320d-8. Section 263 amends the Public Health Service Act at 42 U.S.C. § 242k(k). Section 264, discussed infra, is codified at 42 U.S.C. § 1320d-2 note. See South Carolina Med. Ass’n v. Thompson, 327 F.3d 346, 348 n.1 (4th Cir. 2003) (explaining effect of HIPAA administrative simplification provisions). 7 information.” § 261, 110 Stat. at 2021. More specifically, these provisions direct the Secretary to adopt uniform national standards for the secure electronic exchange of health information. § 262, 110 Stat. at 2021-26. Section 264 prescribes the process by which standards regarding the privacy of individually identifiable health information were to be adopted. § 264(a), 110 Stat. at 2033. This process contemplated that, within a year of HIPAA’s enactm ent, the Secretary w ould su bm it detailed recommendations on such privacy standards, including individual rights concerning individually identifiable health information, procedures for exercising such rights, and the “uses and disclosures of such information that should be authorized or required,” to Congress. § 264(a)-(b), 110 Stat. at 2033. If Congress did not enact further legislation within three years of HIPAA’s enactment, the Secretary was directed to promulgate final regulations implementing the standards within 42 months of HIPAA’s enactment. § 264(c)(1), 110 Stat. at 2033. The Act specified that any regulation promulgated pursuant to the authority of Section 264 would provide a federal baseline for privacy protection, but that such regulations would “not supercede a contrary provision of State law, if the provision of State law imposes requirements, standards, or implementation specifications that are more stringent than the requirements, standards, or implementation specifications imposed under the regulation.” § 264(c)(2), 110 Stat. at 2033-34.2 2 Section 264(c)(2) is cross-referenced in HIPAA § 1178, which provides that HIPAA generally preempts provisions of 8