OCR Issues HIPAA Guidance For Audio-Only Telehealth Use Beyond PHE

HHS’ Office for Civil Rights released guidance Monday (June 13) clarifying how existing HIPAA privacy rules will affect audio-only telehealth services after the current pandemic privacy waiver for such services expires at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The guidance strikes a middle ground, laying out safeguards to protect patient health information while also allowing some regulatory flexibility for providers. “Audio telehealth is an important tool to reach patients in rural communities, individuals with disabilities, and others seeking...