VOICE News Staff
Sacramento, CA – On Friday, the governor issued an order—in alignment with Federal Health and Human Services guidelines and waivers issued in response to COVID-19—allowing health care providers to use video chats and applications to provide health services without risk of penalty.
The order expands protections to medical providers as they amplify the use of video chats and similar applications to provide routine and non-emergency medical appointments, to help minimize patient exposure to COVID-19.
The action mirrors similar protections issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights issued on March 17, 2020 related to federal privacy and security laws. According to Governor Gavin Newsom, “This order provides flexibility to our medical and healthcare providers so that they are able to provide continuity of health services to people across the state, and will allow providers to assess a greater number of patients while limiting the risk of exposure and infection of other persons from in-person consultations.”
When issuing the order on Monday, the governor once again encouraged Californians to practice safe physical distancing and to comply with stay-at-home orders to help slow the spread of the virus and bend the COVID-19 curve.
