On Friday, February 5, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced its intention to revise the forty year old federal confidentiality standards that apply to substance use (f/k/a “substance abuse”) medical information. Originally published in 1975, these rules are found in, and often referred to simply as “42 CFR Part 2.” In announcing the revisions, HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said that the “proposal will help patients with substance use disorders fully participate and benefit from a health care delivery system that’s better, smarter and healthier, while protecting their privacy.”

The revisions will be published later this week, and we’ll be summarizing them for our clients and friends.

Written by: Greg Frost