Introduction
On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the “Act”). The Act provides for nearly $1.7 trillion in funding across a range of domestic
Continue Reading Key Healthcare Provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) has announced proposed changes (the “Proposed Rule”) to 42 C.F.R. Part 2 (“Part 2”). While the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) governs the privacy and security of protected health information generally, Part 2 specifically governs the medical records of federally assisted substance use treatment programs (“SUD Records”).
Continue Reading Proposal to Overhaul Privacy Law Governing Substance Use Disorder Treatment Records
As telehealth services surged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, unique compliance challenges likewise developed in unexpected ways. Recognizing these challenges, the Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) indicated that it would exercise its enforcement discretion by declining to impose penalties against covered health care providers for instances of good faith noncompliance with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) in connection with the provision of telehealth services. In effect, a covered health care provider seeking to use audio or video communication technology to provide telehealth services during the public health emergency could do so with greater flexibility.
Continue Reading Office of Civil Rights Publishes Guidance on Use of Audio-Only Telehealth Services