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
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
On February 1, 2024, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a final rule revising 42 CFR Part 8, which regulates opioid treatment programs (OTPs). The final rule is the first update to...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
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (“SAMHSA”) published a final rule on Feb. 2, 2024, that cemented significant Pandemic-era flexibilities...more
On February 2nd, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a final rule expanding patient access to medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (“OUD”). This new final rule implements changes...more
In a significant stride toward expanding access to addiction treatment services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published, on January 31, its Final Rule allowing telehealth access to...more
House Energy and Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on Healthcare Costs. The hearing included discussion on what factors are causing cost increases for individuals, for the healthcare sector, and for federal health 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
This report was written in partnership with and funded by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government and many states offered regulatory flexibilities intended to make...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
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 9th, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) extended the telemedicine flexibilities that allowed the remote prescribing of controlled...more
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are extending telehealth flexibilities that allow providers to prescribe controlled substances. While the...more
With the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ending on May 11th, providers and practitioners must carefully consider the dates when various telehealth waivers and flexibilities end. This requires understanding the...more
The Big Picture - On February 24, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued two proposed rules that address the prescribing of controlled...more
Starting January 1, 2023, Medicare will cover telehealth-based treatment services delivered by federally-accredited opioid treatment programs (OTPs), commonly referred to as “methadone clinics.” This new reimbursement is...more