April 12, 2023

Wyden Statement on HHS Proposed Rule to Strengthen Reproductive Health Care Privacy

Washington, D.C. — Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement on the new proposed rule announced by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule to strengthen reproductive health care privacy:

"Women seeking health care should not live in fear that their personal health information will be weaponized against them. Providers should be able to do their jobs without being forced to betray the privacy of their patients. Yet in the wake of Dobbs, it's been a full-out sprint by right-wing lawmakers toward massive government overreach and severe restrictions on women's freedom and privacy. I've been sounding the alarm on what I call 'uterus surveillance' since day one, and I'm glad to see HHS taking important steps to strengthen patient privacy. I'll be watching closely to ensure Republican prosecutors and judges don't try to undermine this new HHS rule as its implemented, and I'll continue to fight like hell to make sure pregnant women everywhere have ironclad privacy protections."

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