HHS Office for Civil Rights Model Part 2 Patient Notice
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), issued a Model Part 2 Patient Notice for Part 2 programs. The Patient Notice explains how federal law protects the confidentiality of patients’ SUD treatment records.
Key Points
- The 2024 Final Rule required Part 2 programs to update their Patient Notice, including by incorporating changes that align more closely with the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) requirements established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
- Part 2 programs that are also HIPAA covered entities may create a combined notice that meets both HIPAA’s NPP requirements and Part 2’s Patient Notice requirement.
- The Model Part 2 Patient Notice should be tailored to adequately describe the privacy practices of the Part 2 program.
Related Resources
Many patients receive substance use disorder (“SUD”) treatment and related services at integrated healthcare facilities such as community mental health centers (“CMHCs”) or certified community behavioral health clinics (“CCBHCs”). Some…
This CoE-PHI video, featuring the perspectives of individuals with lived experience, is meant to illustrate for mental health and substance use treatment providers why confidentiality is so important to their patients’ treatment process.
Special thanks to the individuals who bravely shared their stories with us.
This webpage provides an overview of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2), a brief recent history of recent changes to the regulations, and resources for organizations and individuals that must comply with Part 2.