New rules announced on confidentiality of US patient records

The Bush administration has released its controversial rules governing federal protection for the medical privacy of patients in the United States.

The new rules are more lenient than privacy regulations proposed under the Clinton administration,and some feel they do not go far enough in guaranteeing the protection of patients.

The regulations seek to balance patient privacy protection against the routine sharing of medical information between healthcare providers and payers. They take effect on 14 April 2003. They will apply to health …