policy
Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 Statement
PARTNERSHIP TO AMEND 42 CFR PART 2
The undersigned organizations agree on the following:
- Part 2 provisions are not compatible with the way health care is delivered currently.
- Access to a patient’s entire medical record, including addiction records, ensures that providers and organizations have all the information necessary for safe, effective, high quality treatment and care coordination that addresses all of a patient’s health needs.
- Failure to integrate services and supports can lead to risks and dangers to individual patients, such as contraindicated prescription medicines and problems related to medication adherence.
- Obtaining multiple consents from a patient is challenging and creates barriers to whole-person, integrated approaches to care that have proven to produce the best outcomes for our patients.
- Part 2 requirements should be aligned fully with the HIPAA requirements that allow the use and disclosure of patient information for treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO).
- Health care professionals, insurers, and others who receive basic health information through a health information exchange or a shared electronic health record should not use this information to discriminate against patients regarding quality of care, payment of covered services, or access to care.
- Part 2 information should not be disclosed for non-treatment purposes to law enforcement, employers, divorce attorneys, or others seeking to use the information against the patient, which the HIPAA privacy framework already easily accommodates. Existing penalties for unauthorized release and use of confidential medical information should apply.