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Time to Update Your HIPAA Compliance Plan for Telehealth Policies and Procedures

Client Alert
September 8, 2020

The delivery of healthcare in this country may be forever changed following the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing services through telehealth technologies initially allowed providers to connect with patients in a safe and socially distant manner and helped keep vital hospital beds free for COVID-19 care. Now, while still a safe, socially distant option, telehealth allows patients to access healthcare services in an efficient manner, decreases the likelihood of cancellations, and expands access to services that do not require an in-person encounter (i.e., surgery, procedure, or test). Telehealth is now widely reimbursed by both federal and commercial payors and more provider types are able to provide telehealth services within their licensed scope of practice.

While the use of technology by both providers and patients is now commonplace in the industry, protected health information (PHI) must be safe and secure. Providers are still obligated to keep PHI confidential and comply with the rules and requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). An increased frequency of technology introduces another avenue for potential risk and unauthorized uses or disclosures of PHI.

At the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), responsible for enforcing HIPAA, issued a notice of enforcement discretion to not impose penalties against healthcare providers for noncompliance with the regulatory requirements under HIPAA in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth through the duration of the national emergency. As of September 8, 2020, this enforcement discretion is still in place. It will not remain forever and enforcement actions are still at the decision of the OCR. Therefore, in a world with an increased use of technology for healthcare services and the risk of more unauthorized uses or disclosures of PHI, providers should still comply with all of the HIPAA rules and regulations and incorporate telehealth in a compliance plan and/or HIPAA policies and procedures.

The Healthcare and Hospital Law Department at Brennan Manna & Diamond, LLC is here to help account for telehealth and the increased use of technology in your current HIPAA compliance plan to ensure the safety and privacy of the PHI you create and/or maintain. The BMD team can help your practice mitigate risk in the ever changing healthcare delivery world. 

 

HealthcareCOVID-19telehealthtechnologyPHIHIPAAHIPAA ComplianceOCRregulatory requirementsenforcement actionscomplianceKevin CripeBMD Healthcare & Hospital Law Group
Client Alert

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First-of-Its-Kind Federal Ruling Finds Use of Consumer AI Tool May Destroy Attorney-Client Privilege

February 17, 2026On February 10, 2026, Judge Jed Rakoff of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a first-of-its-kind ruling finding that documents generated by a criminal defendant using a consumer AI platform were not protected by attorney-client privilege after being shared with counsel. The court treated the AI tool as a third party, concluding that entering sensitive information into a publicly available platform may waive confidentiality. The ruling also suggests that the work product doctrine may not apply where AI-generated materials are created independently by a client rather than at counsel’s direction. The decision signals that parties should exercise caution when using consumer AI tools in connection with legal matters.Client Alert

Your Golden Chance for H-1B Lottery Registration - March 2026

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Invisible Algorithms: The Hidden Role of Artificial Intelligence in USCIS Immigration Processing

February 10, 2026The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are now integrated into numerous operational functions within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). These tools are described as mechanisms to improve efficiency, reduce backlogs, and assist officers in managing an unprecedented volume of applications. DHS emphasizes that human adjudicators retain decision-making authority and that AI systems do not independently grant or deny immigration benefits. Find out how AI affects the U.S. immigration process.Client Alert

OAAPN | Year In Review: 2026 Ohio Board of Nursing and Ohio Law Rules

February 9, 2026Find out key changes to Ohio law and the Ohio Board of Nursing rules that have directly impacted APRN practice over the past year, including Psychiatric Inpatient Documents, Intimate Examinations, Signature Authority, Duties Related to Fetal Death, Retail IV Therapy Clinics, Release from Permanent Restrictions, Disciplinary Action, Course on Drugs and Prescriptive Authority, Overdose Reversal Drugs, Office Based Opioid Treatment, Withdrawal Management for Substance Use Disorder, Safe Haven Program, and more.
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