{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.016937191249117856, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.474885844748859, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
HHS proposes changes that protect privacy, access to care. Revisions would ensure federal privacy protections while removing obstacles to care.

Strengthen notice provisions and remove consent requirements hindering access to care. As written, the privacy rule's general requirement that patients give prior consent on privacy practices before receiving treatment created serious unintended consequences that interfere with patients' access to health care. For example, patients could be required to visit a pharmacy in person to sign paperwork before a pharmacist could fill their prescriptions. Similar barriers could arise when a patient is referred to a specialist and in other situations. In addition, doctors could refuse to treat patients who refused to sign their privacy consent form. To fix these problems, the proposal would promote access to care by removing the consent requirements for treatment, payment, and health care operations that could interfere with efficient delivery of health care, while strengthening requirements for providers to notify patients about their privacy rights and practices. Patients would be asked to acknowledge the privacy notice, but doctors and other providers could treat them if they did not. This change would ensure that patients can consider a provider's privacy policies before making health care decisions, but would eliminate barriers to patients' access to care.