The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a final rule addressing the disclosure of substance use disorder patient records that is intended to facilitate health care activities while protecting patient privacy. The final rule identifies the circumstances under which lawful holders of patient identifying-information may disclose such information to their contractors, subcontractors, and legal representatives to support payment, health care operations, and audit and evaluation activities. In addition, the final rule establishes an optional abbreviated notice of the prohibition on redisclosure that must accompany each disclosure made with the patient's written consent. Finally, the rule makes a number of technical corrections to a related January 18, 2017 final rule. The rule is effective February 2, 2018.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
