Think HIPAA's privacy rules are tough? You should see 'em in Texas

For those concerned about healthcare privacy and electronic medical records, a new law was signed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) this month with provisions tougher than those currently found under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), writes FierceEMR editor Janice Simmons. The measure (HB 300) bans for-profit sales of personal health information and sets up a process for notifying patients of any electronic transfer of their medical records.

Under the new law--which goes into effect on Sept. 1, 2012--companies or providers who sell medical data could be subject to stiff fines of up to $3,000 per violation, with legal damages as much as $1.5 million. Of particular interest is what happens to a provider if an unintended breach of the data occurs. Critics say this could put some providers out of business. --Read the full article at FierceEMR