UHIMA is asking your assistance in a grassroots effort to advance HR 3545, the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act which seeks to align the 42 CFR Part 2 regulation, a law that regulates the sharing of substance use disorder records, with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment and healthcare operations.
Yesterday, the bill was reintroduced by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) as HR 5795, the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act. Like HR 3545, HR 5795 intends to align the 42 CFR Part 2 regulation with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment and healthcare operations. The bill also includes new criminal, civil and administrative protections for patients during legal proceedings and applies HIPAA penalties to the Part 2 program to ensure that patients can seek treatment without fear of their information being shared inappropriately.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee intends to consider HR 5795 at the full committee level tomorrow morning, May 17, 2018, but we continue to need your help!
Please act quickly!
If you have not done so already, please contact your U.S. Representative via AHIMA’s Advocacy Action Center to express your support for HR 5795. To expedite correspondence, we have generated a message to your U.S. Representative. Members must type in their zip code and personal information to send their support for HR 5795. To go directly to the link, click here and complete the forms available.
Your assistance is critical to advancing HR 5795. The Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is committed to advancing a legislative package that will address our current opioid crisis this summer and we want to make sure that HR 5795 is part of the solution!
Thank you,
Sheri Vanderhoof UHIMA
President 2017-2018