What is the scope of 42 CFR Part 2?

What is the scope of 42 CFR Part 2?

• A. It restricts the disclosure and use of patient identifying information about individuals receiving, having received, or having applied to receive substance abuse treatment.
• B. It applies to all health records in every medical setting regardless of substance use treatment involvement.
• C. It governs only non-identifying demographic data.
• D. It allows unrestricted disclosure with broad consent.

Answer: (A)

42 CFR Part 2 centers on protecting the privacy of people in substance use disorder treatment by tightly limiting how identifying information from those treatment records can be disclosed. It applies specifically to programs that provide substance use treatment and that receive federal funds (or are federally regulated), and it covers records that identify a patient as having sought, is receiving, or has received treatment. Because of this focus, disclosures are allowed only with written, informed consent that specifies who may receive the information and for what purpose, and only under certain permitted exceptions. It isn’t a blanket rule for all health records or for non-identifying demographic data, and it does not allow unrestricted disclosure even with broad consent.

42 CFR Part 2 centers on protecting the privacy of people in substance use disorder treatment by tightly limiting how identifying information from those treatment records can be disclosed. It applies specifically to programs that provide substance use treatment and that receive federal funds (or are federally regulated), and it covers records that identify a patient as having sought, is receiving, or has received treatment. Because of this focus, disclosures are allowed only with written, informed consent that specifies who may receive the information and for what purpose, and only under certain permitted exceptions. It isn’t a blanket rule for all health records or for non-identifying demographic data, and it does not allow unrestricted disclosure even with broad consent.