The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) today announced a new program to implement and enforce statutory and regulatory requirements that protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder (SUD) patient records. This program marks the first time civil enforcement mechanisms will be available to protect the confidentiality of SUD patient records by covered SUD programs.
“At President Trump’s direction, HHS is aggressively enforcing federal safeguards to protect substance use disorder patient records as part of the Great American Recovery Initiative,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Americans seeking treatment for substance use disorder deserve comprehensive care without sacrificing their privacy or legal protections.”