Better Integration of Behavioral and Clinical Health Services Recommended in New Report

​Federal statutes, written in the 1970s and intended to protect the records of patients with substance use disorder (SUD), are a "major integration barrier" to better care coordination between clinical and mental health services, says a new report from the Bipartisan Policy Center. The report examines a wide range of barriers, including those among healthcare providers, which prevent better care integration for behavioral health patients. The 1970s statute, known as 42 CFR Part 2, was intended to protect the privacy of SUD records by separating them from a patient's other medical records.