Tag:Public Health Emergency Privacy Act
The Future of Telemedicine: Controlled Substance Proposed Rule
On January 31, 2020, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services issued a public health emergency as a result of COVID-19. The emergency declaration requires public health professionals, first responders, and public officials to work together to minimize death while preventing illnesses. The declarations provided the government with the flexibility to waive or modify standard requirements as it relates to both public and private insurance, service providers, and authorizations including telehealth. Telehealth provided access to healthcare to those who face barriers as well as flexibility in being able to manage care while reducing the spread of COVID-19 along with other infectious diseases. There remained uncertainty regarding the freedom to prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine with the Biden administration set to end the public health emergency on May 11, 2023. However, on February 24, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a proposed rule that aims to permanently extend controlled substance prescribing flexibilities.
How Federal Data Privacy Regulation Could Help Curb the COVID-19 Pandemic
It cannot be denied that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to many novel legal and regulatory issues. One topic of major concern both domestically and abroad is how to manage the massive amounts of consumer data being collected in the attempt to quell the spread of the virus. This issue is especially complicated to address in the United States, where a convoluted patchwork of state and federal laws interact to create a relentlessly fragmented data regulation system. Now, as state and local governments, along with tech giants like Apple and Google, continue to roll out contact tracing applications, the need for comprehensive data privacy regulation is more pressing than ever.