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 state and private insurance, restrictions
COVID-19
AI Update: FTC Provides Guidance on Use of AI and Algorithms
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 automated decisionmaking is not a…
FCC Embarks on New Rural Health Initiatives with CARES Act Funding
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 existing Rural Healthcare (RHC) program,…
The Potential Benefits of Digital Health Technology in Managing COVID-19
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. The Centers for Disease Control…
Digital Health Alert: Product Liability Considerations for COVID-19-Related Solutions
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 reduce litigation risk down the…
COVID-19: FDA Regulatory Considerations for Digital Health 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 this blog are aware, some …
HHS Relaxes Enforcement of Certain HIPAA Provisions Amidst COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency
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 Services Office for Civil Rights…
Covington Publishes Coronavirus/COVID-19 Checklist for Technology Solutions
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).