Emergency Response | HHS.gov

Emergency Response | HHS.gov

Notification of Enforcement Discretion on Telehealth Remote Communications

On March 17, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services announced, effective immediately, that it will exercise its enforcement discretion and will waive potential penalties for HIPAA violations against health care providers that serve patients through everyday communications technologies during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency. In support of this action, OCR is providing further guidance explaining how covered health care providers can use remote video communication products and offer telehealth to patients responsibly.