Provider, health IT groups praise proposed bills to change patient privacy regulations

Healthcare and health IT groups are supporting recently proposed legislation aimed at reforming a patient privacy regulation by aligning it with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Healthcare provider groups and health IT associations say the confidentiality statute, known as 42 CFR part 2, can hinder care coordination and patient access. Last year, Congress reached consensus on a legislation package aimed at the opioid crisis, but the update to that regulation was not included.

Two bills have...