COVID-19

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has transitioned the telehealth debate from a matter of access, convenience, and cost-saving to a matter of absolute necessity on a large scale. A variety of barriers have traditionally stood in the way of broader adoption of telehealth including a lack of reimbursement by both…
Continue Reading State Medical Licensing Changes to Combat COVID-19

On April 8, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released a blog post about the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”) and algorithms in automated decisionmaking. The blog highlighted the potentially great benefits and risks presented by increasingly sophisticated technologies, particularly in the “Health AI” space. However, it also emphasized that…
Continue Reading AI Update: FTC Provides Guidance on Use of AI and Algorithms

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have ramped up efforts to subsidize the provision of the telecommunications and broadband services necessary to deliver telehealth solutions. This includes steps to make it easier for eligible health care providers to secure funding under the FCC’s…
Continue Reading FCC Embarks on New Rural Health Initiatives with CARES Act Funding

The COVID-19 crisis is demonstrating the potential of digital health technology to manage some of our greatest public health challenges.  The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has issued a call to action for technology companies to help the science community answer high-priority scientific questions related to COVID-19. …
Continue Reading The Potential Benefits of Digital Health Technology in Managing COVID-19

Product liability considerations are not likely the first concerns that spring to mind for the many companies working to develop digital health countermeasures and other products related to COVID-19.  Yet even while putting together solutions on an accelerated timeline, there are some straightforward actions that companies can take that may…
Continue Reading Digital Health Alert: Product Liability Considerations for COVID-19-Related Solutions

Digital health companies are playing an important role in the global response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.  For example, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued a Call to Action to the tech community requesting help in answering urgent scientific questions about COVID-19.  As readers of …
Continue Reading COVID-19: FDA Regulatory Considerations for Digital Health Solutions

On 23 March 2020, the Department of Health and Social Care (“DHSC”) issued a plea to technology companies to come up with digital support solutions for COVID-19.  The DHSC is making £500,000 available, with funding of up to £25,000 per company.  The challenge, named TechForce19, aims to increase community…
Continue Reading TechForce19: UK Government promises up to £25,000 for innovator companies that develop digital support solutions for COVID-19

This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued guidance waiving enforcement of certain provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) in response to the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency.

Covered Health Care Providers

On March 17, 2020, the Department of Health and Human…
Continue Reading HHS Relaxes Enforcement of Certain HIPAA Provisions Amidst COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency

To assist companies that are developing technology solutions to help predict, mitigate or contain the spread of COVID-19, our cross-practice digital health team has put together a checklist of considerations to keep in mind (available here).

For additional guidance, please visit our COVID-19 Legal and Business Toolkit (available here
Continue Reading Covington Publishes Coronavirus/COVID-19 Checklist for Technology Solutions