A number of pandemic-era policies tied to the federal public health emergency will soon expire on May 11, affecting providers, payers and others in the industry that have relied on some of those flexibilities over the past few years.
Waivers concerning health system operations and care access amid the pandemic, like those concerning excess hospital capacity amid surges of COVID-19 cases, will end, according to a statement from the HHS. Healthcare providers will no longer be able to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth without an in-person visit. And private insurance companies will no longer be required to cover COVID-19 tests without cost sharing.
