While there has been a growing use of telemental health services, some patients such as those with limited digital literacy and those with reduced access to broadband still rely on audio-only services. On June 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued guidance on how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) relates to audio-only telehealth services. A summary of the guidance is as follows:
Further details about this new guidance can be found here.