When the COVID-19 public health emergency expired on May 11, 2023, the U.S. Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the end of flexibilities that allowed physicians to utilize remote communication technologies for telehealth services that did not fully comply with HIPAA rules.

OCR provided a 90-calendar day transition period for covered health care providers to come into compliance with the HIPAA rules for telehealth. The transition period will expire at 11:59 p.m. on August 9, 2023, at which time physicians will be expected to utilize only HIPAA-compliant communication tools.

The HHS website offers a list of some platforms that advertise they provide HIPAA-compliant video communication products.

For More Information

For more information about the current state of telehealth in California, the California Medical Association (CMA) has published a Telehealth Policy Update. Although the pandemic-era telehealth waivers have ended, many telehealth flexibilities will extend beyond the end of the pandemic due in large part to CMA advocacy at the state and national levels.