The Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday released some long-awaited rules that expand and update the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

In what the department called "sweeping changes," the final omnibus rule aims to enhance a patient's privacy protections, provides individuals new rights to their health information and strengthens the government's ability to enforce the law.

"Much has changed in health care since HIPAA was enacted over 15 years ago," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. "The new rule will help protect patient privacy and safeguard patients' health information in an ever expanding digital age."

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