On March 18, 2025, LeadingAge submitted comments on a proposed rule from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) that  would establish special registration requirements for prescribing controlled substances via telehealth.

In the letter, we urge the DEA to specifically exempt hospice and skilled nursing providers from this and any future similar rules under the authority given to the DEA Administrator and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to jointly establish exemptions in regulation under the Ryan Haight Act of 2008.

In addition, we also strongly encourage DEA to revise these rules, in consultation with stakeholders, to further account for providers who serve equally vulnerable individuals outside of nursing homes and hospices, including providers serving palliative care patients and home health patients.

Read the full comments here.