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On March 17, 2020, the federal government relaxed a number of telehealth-related regulatory requirements due to COVID-19. On April 3, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-43-20 (the Order), which relaxes various telehealth reporting requirements, penalties, and enforcements otherwise imposed under state laws, including those associated with unauthorized access and disclosure of personal information through telehealth mediums.

As stated in the Order, which became effective immediately, telehealth services may help reduce the spread of COVID-19, and strict compliance with certain state telehealth requirements would otherwise “prevent, hinder, or delay appropriate actions to prevent and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The Order impacts certain health care facilities, health care providers, health care administrators, clinics, home health agencies, and  hospice providers, generally in instances where non-compliance occurs during the “good faith provision of telehealth services.”Continue Reading California relaxes key telehealth regulatory requirements during COVID-19 emergency