Vasilios J. Kalogredis, with Lamb McErlane. Courtesy photo.
In a positive development in the long-time battle against COVID-19, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared that the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 was to expire on May 11. The decision was based on current trends and the belief that now was the time to transition away from this emergency phase.
During the PHE, emergency declarations, legislative actions by Congress, and regulatory changes across government, including by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), enabled health care providers to adapt and optimize the delivery and access to care. Many of these alterations will remain permanent or extended through Congressional action, but some waivers and flexibilities have expired as they were intended to address the immediate needs of the pandemic rather than permanently replace existing rules and regulations.
