With 59 days remaining until the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) telemedicine prescribing flexibilities expire on December 31, and the special registration final rule still unpublished, the Alliance for Connected Care and 250 health care and patient organizations wrote to DEA Administrator Terrance Cole and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, calling on DEA to issue a fifth temporary extension through at least December 31, 2027.
Providers schedule appointments at least 30 days in advance, which means the current lack of regulatory clarity is already affecting January patient visits. Last year’s extension was published on December 30, one day before the flexibilities were set to expire. That left little time to plan, and patients and providers faced confusion, cancellations, and abrupt gaps in treatment, particularly for patients seeking mental and behavioral health care. The Alliance and signers urge DEA to act more promptly this year.
The letter makes clear that:
- An extension is a necessary bridge: Even if the Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations final rule (RIN 1117-AB40) is published in November as forecast, providers and platforms will need time to apply for registration, and DEA will need time to process those applications.
- Stakeholder input will help the final rule work in practice: Signers encourage DEA to ensure the final rule reflects provider and platform feedback so it can be implemented smoothly.
- Congress and DEA must finish the job: Congress required a Special Registration process in the 2008 Ryan Haight Act and reinforced it in the 2018 SUPPORT Act. It remains unfulfilled after 18 years.
The Alliance strongly supports a permanent process that protects patient access while preventing diversion. Find more information from the Alliance for Connected Care here.
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