District Court Vacates HIPAA Privacy Rule Supporting Reproductive Health Care Privacy
In June of 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued rules amending the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule in the wake of the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (the “2024 Privacy Rule”). These rules were designed to support President Biden’s Executive Orders on protecting access to reproductive health care—in particular, by protecting information related to reproductive health care and bolstering patient-provider confidentiality. On June 18, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued an order vacating a majority of the 2024 Privacy Rule. HIPAA “Covered Entities” (e.g., health care providers and group health plans) and their business associates will need to evaluate the impact of this ruling on their HIPAA compliance obligations. What Did the 2024 Privacy Rule Require of Covered Entities? HHS explained that the 2024 Privacy Rule was necessary to “protect