Source: https://hivdatf.org/2017/01/23/confidentiality-rules-change-for-sud-records-cfr-42-part-2/
Timestamp: 2018-08-15 09:44:45
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Confidentiality Rules Change for SUD Records: CFR 42 Part 2 – Los Angeles County HIV Drug & Alcohol Task Force
Confidentiality Rules Change for SUD Records: CFR 42 Part 2
thank you to David Lisonbee at Twin Town for sending this out.
The final rule adopts the revisions set forth in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to the “To Whom” requirement under the consent provisions. This element allows for a consent to be executed to an intermediary, such as an HIE that doesn’t have a treating provider relationship, to allow for a disclosure pursuant to a general designation that only identifies the recipients as those participants in the HIE with a treating provider relationship. That designation would allow for the disclosure to past, present and future providers that have a treatment relationship with the patient without specifically identifying each. Thus, if the patient executed such a consent and a new provider entered the HIE, a new consent would not be necessary to permit disclosures to that provider.
The final rule doesn’t for the most part adopt the provisions of the NPRM regarding the restrictive requirements proposed for the “From Whom” element under the consent section. The NPRM sought to impose a new duty to specifically identify the party disclosing the SUD information. The final rule generally doesn’t impose such a duty and retains the less stringent requirements of the existing rule.
The final rule attempts to align this definition with the definition of “Protected Health Information” under HIPAA. However, there is a recognition referenced in the re-disclosure prohibition that only data that would identify a patient as suffering from an SUD or undergoing SUD treatment is protected under Part 2. This creates uncertainty that is not present under HIPAA because the Part 2 program and the recipient of the information must look to the context of the information to try to determine whether the information could be used to identify the patient as suffering from an SUD or receiving SUD treatment. HIPAA sets forth a more definite definition of what is protected health information and does not necessarily vary depending upon the situation.
The final rule clarifies that a consent may extend for a period of time or until the expiration of an event. One method would be to terminate upon the patient’s death. This is another provision that will ease the burden of using a consent. Another is the express recognition of electronic consent in the final rule, which will allow for ease of implementation and use.
Greensfelder Hemker & Gale PC – Gerald DeLoss
January 23, 2017 Susan Forrest	CFR 42 Part 2, SAMHSA, SUD Records
One thought on “Confidentiality Rules Change for SUD Records: CFR 42 Part 2”
Susan- thanks so much for the credit!
David, Twin Town