Statement on Urging Removal of Federal Barriers to Treat Opioid Use Disorders

By Blair Childs, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs

The Premier healthcare alliance commends 39 State Attorney Generals for identifying and calling for the removal of the federal barriers that are standing in the way of the healthcare community’s ability to safely and effectively coordinate care for patients experiencing substance use disorders. We wholeheartedly agree that aligning the decades-old substance use privacy confidentiality regulations (42 CFR Part 2) with the robust protections in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is one of the most powerful steps that Congress can take to turn the tide on the opioids epidemic.

We continue to call on Congress to swiftly pass the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act (H.R. 2062) and the Protecting Jessica Grubb’s Legacy Act (S. 1012), so that physicians, nurses, and other authorized healthcare providers have access to life-saving information on their patients’ substance use history.