Thread by @BenWinslow

BREAKING NEWS: @UtahDepOfHealth is planning for administering an eventual #COVID19 vaccine. I got a look at their presentation to a #utleg committee: fox13now.com/news/coronavir… @fox13 #utpol #Utah

According to the presentation to the #utleg, @UtahDepOfHealth will prioritize the vaccine and go in waves. Health care workers get first priority. The general public is not expected to get it until wave three: fox13now.com/news/coronavir… @fox13 #utpol #Utah #COVID19

It appears @UtahDepOfHealth is triaging the #COVID19 vaccine based on limited availability. Things could obviously change if the vaccine is more widely distributed by the feds, etc. fox13now.com/news/coronavir… @fox13 #utpol #Utah

The #utleg's Health & Human Services Committee is going to get briefed on the #COVID19 vaccine distribution plans.

I'm literally in the room where it's happening: fox13now.com/news/coronavir… @fox13 #utpol #Utah

But first, we're going to sit through a few presentations on sunsetting programs and a discussion on telehealth. So we're going to be here a while... #utpol #Utah

HHS Committee Chair Brad Daw has asked the #utleg review interstate telehealth services.

Utah requires them to be licensed and abide by same standards as traditional care. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

There are concerns about a burden of multi-state licensure. Utah is a part of a compact on licensing and does have *some* reciprocity.

@fox13 #utpol #Utah

FYI, telehealth has been leaned into very heavily in these #COVID19 times.

Utah rushed through a bill expanding telehealth during the final days of the #utleg session earlier this year as the pandemic was hitting. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

.@NormThurston questions the need to have them be licensed in Utah, why not just let it happen?

Chair Christensen says that raises a policy question of what criteria are in the originating area. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

"All of these are valuable questions that will need to be addressed at the appropriate time," Chair Christensen tells lawmakers.

"But we're not going to settle it this morning."

@fox13 #utpol #Utah

Chair Daw says they have a "new normal" with #COVID19. For example, he telecommutes in his day job and it's likely to stay.

Telehealth is also here to stay, he says. So he'd like to see some licensing issues addressed with it. @fox13 #utpol #Utah

Now, the committee is moving on to discuss sunsetting bills.

This is the part where I do just tune out for a bit until they get to what I'm here to cover. #utpol #Utah