The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office for Civil Rights, announced a final rule modifying the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records regulations at 42 CFR part 2.

The webinar will address how practice/business managers (or compliance offers) need to ensure their organization is complying with the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) regulations (42 CFR Part 2). Also, the speaker will provide an overview of a comparative analysis comparing SAMHSA to the HIPAA laws relating to protected health information in general.

Here are some significant changes and updates in the New Part 2 Rule:

• Patient Consent: This allows a single consent for all future uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations and allows HIPAA-covered entities and business associates that receive records under this consent to redisclose the records following HIPAA regulations.

Other Uses and Disclosures

• Penalties: Aligns Part 2 penalties with HIPAA by replacing criminal penalties currently in Part 2 with civil and criminal enforcement authorities that also apply to HIPAA violations.
• Breach Notification: This applies the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule 3 requirements to breaches of records under Part 2.
• Patient Notice: Aligns Part 2 Patient Notice requirements with the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices requirements.
• Safe Harbor: Creates a limit on civil or criminal liability for investigative agencies that act with reasonable diligence to determine whether a provider is subject to Part 2 before demanding records during an investigation. The safe harbor requires investigative agencies to take specific steps if they discover they received Part 2 records without obtaining the requisite court order.

Webinar Highlights:

• The webinar will discuss the latest SAMHSA updates (42 CFR Part 2) - January 2024.
• Understanding the scenarios and FAQs on substance abuse, mental health, and alcohol records.
• The speaker will provide a comparative analysis of HIPAA laws.
• Maintaining practical insights for Information Security and Release Protocols.
• Learning how to stay current on vital SAMHSA updates impacting the organization.
• Gain practical knowledge through real-world scenarios and FAQs.
• Ensure compliance with nuanced regulations governing Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Alcohol Records.
• Enhancing information security and release practices.
• Understanding the benefit of expert insights tailored for practice managers and business associates in the healthcare landscape.

Why Should You Attend:

The 42 CFR Part 2 regulations (Part 2) serve to protect patient records created by federally assisted programs for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD). Part 2 has been revised to further facilitate better coordination of care in response to the opioid epidemic while maintaining its confidentiality protections against unauthorized disclosure and use.

The webinar will cover the latest updates released in January 2024, multiple scenarios and FAQs relating to Substance Abuse Records, Mental Health Records, Alcohol Abuse Records, and the proper ways to secure and release this information. 

Who Should Attend:

• Practice Managers
• Any Business Associates who work with Mental Health Records, Substance Abuse Records, or Alcohol Abuse Records (i.e., Billing Companies, Transcription Companies, I.T. Companies, Answering Services, Home Health, Coders, Attorneys, etc.)
• M.D.'s and Other Medical Professionals