Better Choice Treatment Center is fully compliant with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and 42 CFR Part 2 regulations. Your addiction treatment records receive the highest level of privacy protection under federal law.
Addiction treatment records are protected by TWO layers of federal privacy law:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law enacted in 1996 that sets national standards for protecting sensitive patient health information. HIPAA requires healthcare providers, insurance companies, and their business associates to implement safeguards to protect the privacy and security of health information.
Establishes standards for who can access your protected health information (PHI) and under what circumstances. You have the right to control how your information is used and disclosed.
Requires physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect electronic health information from unauthorized access, breaches, and cyber threats.
Federal regulation 42 CFR Part 2 provides additional privacy protections beyond HIPAA specifically for substance use disorder treatment records. This law was created to encourage people to seek addiction treatment without fear of legal, employment, or social consequences.
This means if someone calls asking if you're a patient here, we legally cannot answer—even to your family, employer, or law enforcement—without your specific written authorization.
Under HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, you have the following rights:
Request copies of your treatment records within 30 days. Small fees may apply for copying costs.
Request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information in your records.
Ask us to limit how we use or share your information. We'll consider your request but may not always be able to agree.
Request we contact you at a specific phone number, address, or through secure email.
Receive a list of when and why your information was shared (excluding treatment, payment, and routine operations).
Withdraw your consent for us to share information at any time (except for disclosures already made).
All patients receive a complete Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) at admission that explains in detail how we may use and disclose your health information, your rights, and our legal obligations. You will be asked to acknowledge receipt of this notice.
To request a copy of our full Notice of Privacy Practices or to exercise any of your privacy rights, contact our Privacy Officer at (888) 555-1234 or [email protected].
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint:
You will NOT be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Contact our Privacy Officer for questions about how we protect your information or to exercise your privacy rights.