Two recent decisions of the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) illustrate that age and disability status cannot be used as blanket criteria for denying access to health care services, even during a pandemic. This should serve as a warning to healthcare providers about the risks in making triage decisions

Recognizing that texting has become a valuable and essential means of communication among providers, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued new guidance regarding its position on texting of patient information. The guidance clarifies that texting patient information may be permissible if certain security standards are met, but it also distinguishes between

Substance use treatment providers and rehabilitation centers should use caution when reviewing and approving written consents for the disclosure of substance use patient records, specifically consents authorizing disclosure to government agencies, as such requests frequently do not comply with new SAMHSA regulations.

On January 18, 2017, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)