The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and SAMHSA have released their final rule outlining how to protect patient confidentiality for SUD-treatment records. Regulations governing privacy of these records, 42 CFR Part 2 (commonly referred to as “Part 2”), were previously in misalignment with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The final rule remedies this, allowing for streamlined patient consent, expanded protections for how these records can be used in courts, and better transparency for patients into who is requesting access to their records. Click here for HHS’ full FAQ.