HHS Releases COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Transition Roadmap

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a transition roadmap for COVID-19 policies and flexibilities that will be impacted once the Public Health Emergency (PHE) ends on May 11, 2023.

Notably, Medicare telehealth flexibilities (including those in place for audiology) that otherwise would expire with the end of the PHE, will remain in place through 2024 as the result of the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 at the end of last year. Medicaid telehealth flexibilities will not be affected by this transition.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance relaxing certain federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) privacy and security rules during the PHE, including with respect to permissible telehealth technologies, community-based testing sites and web-based scheduling of COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Those flexibilities are generally set to expire at the end of the PHE.

Read the HHS Fact Sheet: COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Transition Roadmap.