Sharing of Addiction Treatment Records Gets Biden HHS Overhaul

Drug addiction treatment records will face fewer barriers to sharing among medical professionals under a new rule issued Thursday by the Biden administrations’ Health and Human Services Department.

Required under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the rule (RIN: 0945-AA16) is intended to help medical professionals better coordinate care for individuals struggling with substance use. Under the rule, medical professionals can share a patient’s substance use treatment records after a one-time consent.

The move aligns the more strict substance use record requirements with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA. ...