Doctors can now legally keep patient data private for 'care access'

Rules about sharing electronic health information just got looser for healthcare organizations. They can now legally withhold patient data if they claim it protects a patient's access to care.

Rules meant to force healthcare providers to share patient data now have a new exception. This means providers can legally withhold electronic health information if they say it protects a patient's access to care. This could prevent data from being used in ways that harm patients, like for debt collection or other non-treatment purposes.