Resources & Reports

In the fall of 2022, the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) held two webinars in its popular state telehealth policy series that focused on what the telehealth policy landscape may look like in a post-PHE environment.  Rather than focus on individual states’ policies as examples, the two webinars explored issues that have more of a regional or national impact.

Last month, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed regulations to change current rules regarding the protection of patient records in federally run substance use disorders (SUD) programs.  Currently, these SUD rules differ from what is required under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which has led to challenges in sharing information and obstacles to access services.  The primary section for modification is Part 2 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations (Part 2).

With the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) likely ending in 2023 it has become increasingly urgent for providers to start preparing themselves for its imminent termination.  The PHE was initially declared by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on January 31, 2020, and has been renewed every 90 days since.  The most recent renewal occurred October 13, 2022, ensuring the PHE would remain until at least January 11, 2023, however it is expected that the PHE will be renewed one more time until April 11, 2023.

A new report released last month by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) focused on the use of telehealth in programs from six federal agencies.  Titled Insights on Telehealth Use and Program Integrity Risks Across Selected Health Care Programs During the Pandemic, the PRAC’s Health Care Subgroup (Subgroup) focused on provision of telehealth services in the first year of the pandemic (March 2020 – February 2021) in the following six federal programs:

1. Medicare
2. TRICARE
3. Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
4. Veterans Health Administration
5. Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs
6. Federal Bureau of Prisons and US Marshals Services