HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices Must Be Revised by February 16, 2026

Dental offices must update their Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) by February 16, 2026, to remain compliant with amended HIPAA regulations. The required changes are primarily related to enhanced privacy protections for substance use disorder (SUD) records under federal law (42 CFR Part 2).

Specifically, the NPP must explain that certain SUD-related information has more restrictive confidentiality rules than standard HIPAA-protected health information.

Additionally, SUD records generally cannot be used or disclosed without written patient consent and may not be used in legal or administrative proceedings without proper authorization or a court order.

Even if your practice does not specialize in SUD treatment, your NPP must still reflect these updates.

To comply with the February 16 deadline, dental practices should:

• Update their NPP.
• Provide the revised NPP to new patients. Electronic distribution is acceptable if patients have agreed to receive notices electronically.
• Have the new NPP available for individuals upon request.
• Post the information in a prominent location in the dental office, and online, if applicable.
• Train staff on updates regarding the use and disclosure of SUD information.
• Continue to follow usual HIPAA rules using the revised NPP.

For our OSHA Review subscribers… an updated template Notice of Privacy Practices, dated 2026, from OSHA Review’s website, in the clients-only section under Professional Documents.