Closing the Privacy Gap: HIPRA Targets Health Apps and Wearables
Move over HIPAA…the health privacy landscape may be in for a shakeup. On November 4, 2025, S enator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the Health Information Privacy Reform Act (HIPRA) , a bill aimed at closing a gap in health data protections. HIPAA has long governed the privacy of traditional medical records held by health care providers and health plans, but what about the data collected by your smartwatch, fitness app, or wellness platform? Those technologies are currently governed by a patchwork of state laws and Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) guidelines. HIPRA intends to change that. According to the press release , HIPRA is intended to “expand health privacy protections to account for new technologies that are not currently required to have privacy protections, such as wearables and health apps.” What Would HIPRA Cover? The bill introduces a new category of health data called “Applicable Health Information” (AHI). AHI is any identifiable (or reasonably identifiabl...