The Medicare home health benefit does not currently permit the inclusion of telehealth services as a reimbursable service as part of the plan of care. Despite this, many home health agencies (HHAs) have found great value for their patients in including telehealth as part of care delivery and do so despite the lack of reimbursement. […]
The Alliance of Community Health Plans urged Congress to consider making telehealth flexibilities more concrete and increasing federal burden for coronavirus testing coverage. By Kelsey Waddill November 23, 2020 – The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) urged Congress to take steps toward making telehealth flexibilities permanent and to ensure that coronavirus testing is available to consumers without cost-sharing. “One […]
Lightened telehealth regulations have expanded access to virtual visits for therapy and other mental health services. But many patients still aren’t having their needs met. By ELISE REUTER Post a comment / Nov 19, 2020 at 8:50 PM Worries about rising Covid-19 cases, a challenging presidential transition, and growing inequities are crushing people across the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday touted several tools designed to help states rebalance their long-term care ecosystem toward home- and community-based services. The development is the latest in a series of CMS efforts aimed at strengthening home- and community-based services amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the ultimate goal of […]
Medicare dramatically expanded benefits for remote health care in response to COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know. Walecia Konrad November 20, 2020 Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a […]
Most physicians at the American Medical Association‘s virtual special meeting of its House of Delegates agreed that expanding access to telemedicine during the pandemic benefited patients and practices alike — saving at least one from bankruptcy. In a recent AMA poll, 60% said that telehealth has improved the health of their patients. Yet delegates struggled to craft […]
The American Medical Association has adopted new telehealth policy positions, the organization announced upon the Tuesday closing of a special five-day virtual meeting. In an email sent to the press Nov. 18, the organization’s media department said the updated telemedicine playbook directs the AMA to advocate with lawmakers and regulators on codifying rules governing coverage, access […]
The lack of access to technology and broadband internet are the most frequently cited barriers that physicians perceive as preventing their patients from participating in telehealth, according to the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition. For its Telehealth Impact Study, the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition surveyed 1,594 physicians and other healthcare professionals across the U.S. about their virtual care adoption practices, […]
A bill introduced this week would permanently extend Medicare coverage for telehealth services delivered by physical and occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists and audiologists. By Eric Wicklund November 18, 2020 – A group of lawmakers has introduced a bill that would ensure Medicare coverage for telehealth services provided by physical and occupational therapists, audiologists and speech and […]
Legislation expands practitioners eligible for Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services WASHINGTON, DC — Representatives Mike Sherrill (NJ-11), Rep. David McKinley (WV-01), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Rep. Denver Riggleman (VA-05), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Rep. Andre Carson (IN-07), Rep. Glenn Thompson (PA-15), Rep. Andy Kim (NJ-03), Rep. Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Rep. Bobby Rush (IL-01), Rep. Albio Sires […]
The Federal Communications Commission released a public notice announcing the application window for its Connected Care Pilot Program is now open and will close December 7. As we previously wrote, the $100 million, three-year Connected Care Pilot Program is designed to offset eligible healthcare providers’ costs for providing certain connected care services, particularly to treat low-income Americans and […]
The HHS Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) published its intent to review some key measures the Federal government made in response to COVID-19. Those key measures include the Medicare program’s telehealth policy changes and oversight of funds disbursed to providers under the CARES Act and the Provider Relief Fund (“PRF”). While the OIG’s review focuses on the […]
Physicians discussed the best way to advocate for new flexibilities in telemedicine granted to patients and clinicians due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during the American Medical Association virtual Special Meeting of its House of Delegates. Whether in response to mandatory quarantines or patients’ concern for their own risk of transmitting the virus, many more patients are […]
THE CHALLENGES presented by COVID-19 have resulted in unprecedented changes to healthcare systems nationwide. Before the pandemic, only 1 percent of all physician visits in the US were conducted via telehealth. That number spiked to almost 50 percent in just the first month of the public health emergency, according to Medicare claims data. While telehealth usage […]