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Searching for a New Normal: How Expiration of the Federal Public Health Emergency Impacts Access to Health Care Services

Center for Health Insurance Reform

After more than three years, the federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) is set to expire on May 11, 2023. Once the PHE designation is lifted, a number of federal policies intended to help the U.S. health care system adapt to the pandemic will also expire.

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How we can avoid the 'telehealth cliff'

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

It's become common knowledge, at this point, that the flexibilities enabled by the federal government at the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency prompted an atmospheric jump in telehealth use. " The uncertainty about when the public health emergency will lift creates "a lot of anxiety," said Hayes.

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Report shows 'vast improvement' in state telehealth reimbursement policies

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

"Health plans are offering more telemedicine and digital health coverage as part of a broader acceptance of virtual care; changes we believe will largely remain even after the Public Health Emergency ends," said Nathaniel Lacktman, partner and chair of the firm’s national telemedicine and digital health industry team, in a statement.

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The End of Public Health? It’s Not Dead Yet

Bill of Health

By Nicole Huberfeld Once again, health law has become a vehicle for constitutional change , with courts hollowing federal and state public health authority while also generating new challenges. In administrative law disputes, a critical aspect of public health law, clear statement rules enforce separation of powers.

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Senator Tina Smith: 'We have to learn from our experiences' on telehealth

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

A bipartisan group of senators on Thursday introduced legislation to inventory telehealth programs nationwide and evaluate ways to plan for public health emergencies using virtual care. "This bill examines what’s worked across the country so we can more effectively respond to future health emergencies."

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FCC and other awards helped enable permanent telehealth policy changes in Virginia

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

In addition, as a federally designated Telehealth Resource Center, UVA Health also worked to provide expanded technical assistance to providers and health systems across the nine-state Mid-Atlantic Region. Following the public health emergency, primary care providers massively scaled the use of telemedicine.

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Tackling Another Public Health Emergency: Recent State and Federal Policies to Increase Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Access

Center for Health Insurance Reform

While the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended in May, the PHE declaration for the opioid crisis continues. CHIR’s Rachel Swindle and Kristen Ukeomah explore this proposal as well as other recent state and federal policy changes that aim to reduce barriers to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder.