Based on current COVID-19 trends, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning for the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, expired at the end of the day on May 11, 2023.
Here is offical statements from HHS.
Fact Sheet: End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Fact Sheet: Telehealth Flexibilities and Resources and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
But what are we hearing from our industry? We asked some thought leaders and here is what they had to say.
Gary Hamilton, CEO, InteliChart Twitter: @InteliChart
The pandemic permanently transformed care delivery by causing a massive explosion in the adoption of telehealth across the entire healthcare landscape. Despite the end of the public health emergency, it’s safe to assume that telehealth is no longer a “nice to have” service for patients, but rather the new table stakes. This newfound momentum has presented a myriad of benefits for patients and prompted significant changes for health systems that will continue well into the future, and it’s up to providers to embrace virtual care with patient engagement at its core to remain competitive, eliminate barriers to care access, and retain patients.
This article was originally published on Health IT Answers on May 16, 2023. You can view the article here.
