OCR Announces Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Community-Based Testing Sites During the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency

10. April 2020 EHR, EMR, Health, HIPAA 0
Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will exercise its enforcement discretion and will not impose penalties for violations of the HIPAA Rules against covered entities or business associates in connection with the good faith participation in the operation of COVID-19 testing ...

HHS Statements on Authorizing Licensed Pharmacists to Order and Administer COVID-19 Tests

09. April 2020 EHR, EMR, Health, HIPAA 0
Earlier today, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health issued new guidance under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act authorizing licensed pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 tests that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized. HHS Secretary Alex Azar issued the following statement: “Giving pharmacists the authorization to order and administer ...

Indian Health Service Expands Telehealth Services During COVID-19 Response

09. April 2020 EHR, EMR, Health, HIPAA 0
Today, IHS is announcing its expansion of telehealth across IHS federal facilities. Telehealth services means patients can stay home and reduce their risk of infection and also keep healthcare workers and others in waiting rooms and emergency departments safe from COVID-19. “Expanding telehealth allows more American Indians and Alaska Natives to access healthcare they need ...

OCR Reaches Early Case Resolution With Alabama After It Removes Discriminatory Ventilator Triaging Guidelines

09. April 2020 EHR, EMR, Health, HIPAA 0
Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing that it has resolved a compliance review of the State of Alabama after the state removed ventilator rationing guidelines that allegedly discriminated on the basis of disability and age. This is the first enforcement action taken ...

HHS Awards $1.3 Billion to Health Centers in Historic U.S. Response to COVID-19

09. April 2020 EHR, EMR, Health, HIPAA 0
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded more than $1.3 billion to 1,387 health centers as part of a historic U.S. response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. HRSA-funded health centers may use the awards to help communities across the country detect ...

Secretary Azar Statement on World Health Day

08. April 2020 EHR, EMR, Health, HIPAA 0
HHS Secretary Alex Azar issued the following statement on the occasion of World Health Day, April 7: “This year’s World Health Day comes as the world wages war against a global health challenge without precedent in our era: the COVID-19 pandemic. For years, including under President Trump, the United States has worked to focus global ...

HHS Supports State, Territorial and Tribal Public Health Labs with COVID-19 Rapid Point-of-Care Test

07. April 2020 EHR, EMR, Health, HIPAA 0
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is purchasing the ID NOW COVID-19 rapid point-of-care test, developed by Abbott Diagnostics Scarborough Inc., for state, territorial and tribal public health labs. The ID NOW COVID-19 test is performed on the ID NOW device. This test allows for medical diagnostic testing at the time and place ...

HHS Announces Upcoming Funding Action to Provide $186 Million for COVID-19 Response

07. April 2020 EHR, EMR, Health, HIPAA 0
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is announcing upcoming action by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide $186,000,000 in funding for additional resources to state and local jurisdictions in support of our nation’s response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). “Testing and surveillance is a vital piece of our ...