Final Rule Implementing Information Blocking Penalties

On June 27, 2023, HHS-OIG posted its final rule implementing information blocking penalties. The final rule establishes the statutory penalties created by the 21st Century Cures Act. If OIG determines that an individual or entity has committed information blocking, they may be subject up to a $1 million penalty per violation.

The final rule does not impose new information blocking requirements. OIG incorporated regulations published by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) as the basis for enforcing information blocking penalties. For more information on ONC’s information blocking regulations see: Information Blocking.

The HHS-approved document has been submitted to the Office of the Federal Register for publication which will hold the offical version of the rule.

To report complaints about information blocking, please visit the ONC Information Blocking Portal or the OIG Hotline.

Submit a Hotline Complaint

OIG Hotline Operations accepts tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ programs. Every report we receive is important, however, not every submission results in an investigation. Due to the high volume of complaints we receive, it is not possible to contact every complainant. However, Hotline tips are incredibly valuable, and we appreciate your efforts to help us stamp out fraud, waste, and abuse.