For Immediate Release:
Contact: Kelly Broadway, 202-808-8853
kbroadway@health-innovation.org
Washington, D.C. – The Health Innovation Alliance (HIA) provided guidance to the federal government in response to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce’s request for information on exploring the parameters of a comprehensive data privacy and security framework.
HIA’s comments emphasized the importance of striking a balance between robust privacy protections and the flow of health data to improve health outcomes and lower costs. HIA’s response stressed the need for any federal privacy legislation to ensure that health information continues to flow seamlessly to those who need it while avoiding unnecessary duplicative regulations for entities engaged in healthcare. HIA also called for privacy policies that protect the security of sensitive health data while supporting ongoing innovation and the interoperable exchange of information.
“We recognize the need for privacy and security in health data, particularly as health information becomes more liquid and interconnected,” said Brett Meeks, Executive Director of the Health Innovation Alliance. “Policymakers should adopt a privacy framework that protects patients’ rights while allowing health information to flow where it is most needed, whether for treatment, research, or care coordination.”
HIA emphasized the need for consistent de-identification standards to prevent regulatory confusion and disruption in clinical research and warned that a fragmented regulatory landscape creates uncertainty for compliance and innovation, particularly for artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
“Lawmakers must ensure that any new legislation does not disrupt the potential of AI and other technologies to fix our broken healthcare system,” added Meeks. “HIA urges Congress to consider our principles and work toward creating a comprehensive, consistent, and sustainable framework for health data privacy that benefits all stakeholders – from patients to providers, researchers, and innovators.”
Click here to read HIA’s letter to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Privacy Working Group.