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VA RIN: 2900-AP73 Publication ID: Fall 2016 
Title: Release of VA Records Relating to HIV 
Abstract:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend its medical regulations governing the release of VA medical records. Specifically, VA proposes to eliminate the restriction on protecting a negative test result for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV testing is a common practice today in healthcare and the stigma of testing that may have been seen in the 1980s when HIV was first discovered is no longer prevalent. Continuing to protect negative HIV tests causes delays and an unnecessary burden to veterans when VA tries to share electronic medical information with the veterans’ outside providers for their treatment through health information exchange efforts. For this same reason, VA would also eliminate negative test results of sickle cell anemia as protected medical information. This proposed rule would eliminate the current barriers to electronic medical information exchange.

 
Agency: Department of Veterans Affairs(VA)  Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant 
RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Final Rule Stage 
Major: No  Unfunded Mandates: No 
CFR Citation: 38 CFR 1.460    38 CFR 1.461   
Legal Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501(a)   
Legal Deadline:  None
Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
NPRM  08/05/2016  81 FR 51836   
NPRM Comment Period End  10/04/2016 
Final Action  02/00/2017 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No  Government Levels Affected: None 
Small Entities Affected: No  Federalism: No 
Included in the Regulatory Plan: No 
RIN Data Printed in the FR: No 
Agency Contact:
Stephania Griffin
Administration Privacy Officer
Department of Veterans Affairs
Office of Information (10P2C1), 810 Vermont Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20420
Phone:704 245-2492
Email: stephania.griffin@va.gov