DHHS wisely proposed to remove the "consent" requirement from the HIPAA privacy standards. Department of Health and Human Services.

The author contends that requiring advance written consent to use and disclose health information interferes with patient care, is unnecessary in view of other rigorous privacy protections, and imposes an unwarranted burden on healthcare providers. Consequently, the author commends DHHS for taking the "practical and apolitical step" of removing this requirement.