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Public Health Emergency Extended
By: Emily H. Lineweaver
On Friday, July 15th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) renewed the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), thereby extending the PHE through October 13, 2022. Among other things, the extension allows for many Americans to continue to have access to free COVID-19 testing, therapeutic treatment and vaccines and telehealth providers are able to continue to provide a wide array of services to beneficiaries regardless of where they live, without the beneficiary having to travel to a health care facility to receive those services. These, and other flexibilities put in place in response to the PHE, are only available for the duration of the PHE. HHS has stated that it will provide at least a 60-day notice before it terminates the PHE to give all affected providers time to unwind these flexibilities and come back into compliance with pre-PHE standards before the PHE officially expires.
