Washington Passes Data Privacy Law, DEA Delays Telehealth Prescribing Limits
A first-in-the-nation data privacy law may set a precedent for future healthcare consumer protection actions, and the DEA is temporarily reversing part of its unpopular telehealth proposal.
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By - Policy news this week includes the DEA’s recent flip-flop on telehealth prescribing rules and a groundbreaking Washington state health data privacy law.
Washington Governor Signs Health Data Protection Law
Governor Jay Inslee signed the My Health My Data Act into law last week to modernize consumer protections and encourage safer data sharing. The law requires explicit consent from individuals to share data and restricts geo-fencing around healthcare facilities. Patients who travel to Washington state to seek gender-affirming and reproductive care will also benefit from the law’s added protection and limits on location sharing.
“Health data collected by noncovered entities, including certain apps and websites, are not afforded the same protections. This act works to close the gap between consumer knowledge and industry practice by providing stronger privacy protections for all Washington consumers' health data,” the act states. READ MORE.
Senators Ask DEA to Extend Telehealth Prescribing
In a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), a group of senators, led by Massachusetts’ Edward Markey, urged regulators to establish a permanent carve-out in the telehealth prescribing flexibilities to include buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, providers could prescribe buprenorphine over the phone; however, this capability may be lost if no permanent exemption is established.
"Given the opioid epidemic’s scope, we must ensure that all OUD medication treatment options are accessible to everyone, regardless of their geographic location, economic status, or ability. Although the DEA’s proposed rules take a step forward in incorporating telehealth, they scale back flexibilities that people relied on to access OUD medication treatment,” noted the letter. READ MORE.
DEA to Delay Virtual Prescribing Limits
In response to thousands of consumer complaints, the DEA allowed a temporary extension permitting providers to prescribe a 30-day supply of schedule III-V non-narcotics after the COVID-19 PHE ends later this month.
"We recognize the importance of telemedicine in providing Americans with access to needed medications, and we have decided to extend the current flexibilities while we work to find a way forward to give Americans that access with appropriate safeguards," the DEA said in a statement. READ MORE.
HHS Advisory Cites Isolation as Public Health Threat
An HHS advisory shared last week identified loneliness, social isolation, and human connection as pressing public health priorities. United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, elaborated on the loneliness crises citing data that people who feel lonely are at 26 percent higher risk for premature death, and those experiencing social isolation are linked to an increased risk of early death. In addition, survey data from the advisory showed that only 39 percent of US adults felt well-connected. READ MORE.
Columbia University $20M Grant for AI Neuroscience
Columbia University will use a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI). The ARNI aims to accelerate research into the links between neuroscience and artificial intelligence by supporting industry applications and healthcare sector linkages. Initially, the center plans to build machine learning tools and produce cross-disciplinary insights. READ MORE.
