Be prepared for the Ryan Haight Law.

It's important you get in to see your provider in person. Here's what you need to know.

What is changing?

The Ryan Haight Act requires that patients receiving prescriptions for controlled substances via telemedicine first be evaluated in person by their medical provider. Through the Public Health Emergency declared during the pandemic, an exemption allows for controlled prescriptions to be issued without an in person appointment.

How will it affect my care?

Once the Public Health Emergency expires, an in-person appointment will be needed prior to the issuance of a clinically appropriate, controlled substance via telemedicine. We recommend booking this appointment now in order to avoid a potential disruption of care.

I have heard that the DEA is extending the exemption, is this true?

The DEA has issued an extension until November 11, 2024. Many pharmacies are not aware of the extension and have been turning away telemedicine patients with valid prescriptions. You only need to see us once in person one of our clinics . If we don't have a clinic near you, please check back regularly as we are opening new locations monthly.

What do I need to do?

We recommend you book an in-person appointment as soon as possible with your Circle Medical Primary Care Provider (PCP) to avoid a potential interruption in care.

Can I still get my prescription over video?

For the prescription of clinically appropriate controlled substances, pharmacists should continue filling legitimate prescriptions issued after a telehealth encounter in the same way they would following an in-person visit through November 11, 2024. Guidance or rules following November 11, 2024, are pending.

How often will I need to be seen in person?

After being evaluated once in person, you will be eligible to continue to receive your clinically appropriate controlled prescription via telemedicine as long as:

You continue to schedule and attend your monthly, follow-up video appointments and
You adhere to the controlled substance agreement (you previously signed) and
It remains medically necessary and you are seeing the same provider.

Just as is the case today, your provider has the discretion to exercise their clinical judgment and request that you be evaluated in person at any time throughout the course of your care.

I was seen in person by my Circle PCP in the past, do I need to come in again?

No. If you were already seen in person by your Circle Medical PCP prior to May 11, 2023 you do not need to be seen again as you are already compliant with the legal requirement. However, your PCP is able to request to see you in person should they deem it medically necessary at any time throughout your treatment.

What happens during an in-person ADHD appointment?

During this in-person appointment, the provider will conduct an exam, order labs if necessary and answer any questions you may have about your treatment plan. Once this in-person requirement has been met, you are expected to continue your monthly follow up appointments over video via telemedicine with the same provider.

What is the cost of this in-person appointment?

The cost of the in-person appointment is the same as what you would pay for an ADHD video appointment, which is the copay determined by your insurance company or $120 if paying out-of-pocket.

Where will in-person appointments take place?

Circle Medical is working on expanding its network of physical locations in order to meet the needs of our patients. We will notify you when a location is available in your area.

What if I just had my monthly, follow-up appointment over video?

We suggest booking your in-person appointment as soon as possible as availability is limited. Any clinically appropriate prescriptions issued during your in-person appointment will be post-dated to reflect your next fill date.

What is Circle Medical doing to advocate for its patients?

Circle Medical firmly believes that primary care providers should be allowed to practice within the full scope of their license and not be unduly restricted from treating patients over telemedicine where clinically appropriate. Telemedicine has proved a very effective means of providing safe, high quality care to patients who previously had difficulty accessing it.

We will continue to advocate for regulatory reform via our membership in the American Telemedicine Association and ATA Action, and by engaging with regulators and lawmakers. Recently, we penned a 24 page letter to the DEA in response to their proposal for changes to laws that dictate the in person requirement. You may read the letter here.

While we strongly believe regulatory reform is necessary, we will nonetheless be prepared to comply with existing regulations so as to avoid a disruption in care for our patients.

Is there anything I can do to support these efforts and make sure my voice is heard?

ATA Action has created a seamless and secure way for you to reach out to your Member of Congress in less than 1 minute!

Simply click on this link to see and send an auto-generated letter to your local congress member instantly. Please note completing this step is optional and will not impact your care at Circle Medical in any way. We will not know if you opted to send a letter or not.

Help spread the word. Please feel free to share this link with any members of your community that stand to be impacted by these changes.

Have more questions? Feel free to send them via the chat feature in the app.