Below is Alston & Bird’s Health Care Week in Review, which provides a synopsis of the latest news in health care regulations, notices, and guidance; federal legislation and congressional committee action; reports, studies,...more
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is once again extending telemedicine prescribing flexibilities for controlled substances. This latest extension, which is now the third extension of such flexibilities originally...more
On April 4, 2024, a final rule published on February 2, 2024 (the Final Rule) went into effect that concerns medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder. The Final Rule, published by the Substance Abuse and Mental...more
Federal and state agencies continue to remain active this year, particularly with regard to laws that impact healthcare technology. As part of our ongoing efforts to track health technology-related legislation and...more
This Week in Washington: Congress averts government shutdown; President issues executive order concerning foreign exploitation of health data; Sen. McConnell announces he is stepping down as leader at the end of the term;...more
On February 2, 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Final Rule that expands access to medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) via telehealth modalities and “take-home” doses....more
On February 1, 2024, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced a final rule updating the regulations regarding Opioid Treatment Programs...more
This month, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), in conjunction with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (“SAMHSA”), issued a Second Temporary Rule further extending the telemedicine waivers...more
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have further extended flexibilities that allow providers to prescribe controlled substances...more
On October 6, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a temporary rule providing for a second temporary extension of its COVID-19 telemedicine...more
The House and Senate were both in session this week, with healthcare activity at the committee level. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on innovation and a markup of 15 healthcare bills. The Senate...more
Telehealth experienced massive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, due in no small part to various regulatory and reimbursement policies that federal agencies implemented following a declaration by the US Department of...more
Reversing previously proposed rules, the DEA recently issued new guidance allowing the continued use of telehealth when prescribing controlled substances following the end of the Covid-19 public health emergency (“PHE”)....more
On May 10, 2023, HHS announced that many telehealth and teleprescribing flexibilities will remain in place after the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023. Congress extended many telehealth...more
Since the declaration of the public health emergency due to the COVID-19 epidemic, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registered practitioners have been able to prescribe controlled substances, without a prior in-person...more
The expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (“PHE”) on May 11, 2023 could have created a “prescription cliff” leaving patients without access to controlled substances. During the PHE, telemedicine flexibilities...more
This week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), in conjunction with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (“SAMHSA”), issued a temporary rule extending the telemedicine waivers of the Ryan...more
Two days ahead of the expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a temporary rule extending...more
As we previously covered, in March 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced a proposed rule on prescribing controlled substances via telehealth, aimed at addressing the “telehealth cliff” that was expected to occur...more
On May 10, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) released a new regulation – “Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications” – temporarily extending the “full set” of...more
As the year 2020 began, it would have been difficult for most Americans to imagine how life, as we knew it at that time, would change in the coming months and years. You likely recall generally, if not specifically, that on...more
This Week in Washington: President Biden delivers State of the Union Address, House votes to end CDC COVID-19 Foreign Air Traveler Vaccine Mandate...more