The 2009 HITECH Act expands HIPAA coverage and definition to include covered entity business associates, definition of security breach and disclosure requirements, new restrictions on use and disclosure of protected health information, new patient rights, mandatory compliance audits and heightened HIPAA enforcement.

Interest in personal health records as an electronic tool to manage health information is increasing dramatically.

File folders, marching across the shelves in an orderly line behind the receptionist’s desk, may be the first thing you see when you sign in for a doctor’s appointment. While it’s tempting to believe, the truth is more troubling.

Just hours before the first election polls opened across the United States, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin finally released a two-page “summary” of her medical records. Obviously, there appears to be something in her full medical records she didn’t want American voters to know and at this late date, many of us don’t care anymore. We just want her to pack up her bags and go back home to Alaska on Wednesday.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) is the fisrt health insurance company to work with Google Health, and this cooperation will enable BCBSMA members to store and organize their personal health data in private online health database.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is the first health insurance provider to be "Early Mover" on Google Health platform. Blue Cross Blue Shield will provide claims data to members in safe and secure online environment.

Pilot program will allow voluntary data exchange from Kaiser Permanente’s market-leading personal health record to Microsoft HealthVault.

Electronic health records' pilot program will allow voluntary data exchange from Kaiser Permanente’s market-leading personal health record to Microsoft HealthVault.

Barack Obama's long-time physician released his medical records, and proclaimed the Illinois senator "in excellent health."

Google Health was launched yesterday, "your" database for all your health records in (what else) beta form. Personally, I have little interest in spreading more of my personal information around for people / companies to accidentally leak, but I took a look anyway.

Google Health finally has been launched and if you have to ask what Google Health is? it is an extension to your heath record information. You can store your health information with Google Health and manage it as you want. It's completely free. All you need to get started is a Google account ( Google username and password). If you have that you are set to go.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a new project that expands its efforts to encourage beneficiaries covered by traditional Medicare to take advantage of Internet-based resources to track their health care services and better communicate with their providers.