Most health departments have programs that are covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Public Law 104-191 (“HIPAA”), such as health care providers who bill electronically, clinics or health plans. Health departments may also provide traditional public health services that are not covered by HIPAA, such as surveillance, inspections, outbreak investigation and injury prevention programs.
Broadband, which generally refers to high-speed internet access that is always on and faster than dial-up access, is being recognized as an important social determinant of health. Despite progress in expanding connectivity, approximately 24 million people in the United States still lack fixed broadband access. States are increasingly turning to legal and policy approaches to support the expansion of broadband in underserved areas.
High rates of morbidity and mortality among Americans related to opioid use constitute a public health epidemic, leading multiple jurisdictions to declare formal states of emergency or public health emergency. Declaring a state of emergency grants states and localities additional resources to address the epidemic immediately.
