The department released an action plan to address health care and technological disparities facing rural communities in response to the pandemic. Faith Ryan Thu, 11/12/2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need for major investments in digital health services and technology across the country, including telehealth and broadband infrastructure — particularly in rural communities. As […]
Funding: This research was supported by National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Grant (R01MD011523), and National Institute on Aging Grant (R56AG062315), awarded to Jie Chen. Funding was also awarded to Deanna Barath from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars program. None of the funding bodies played […]
with increasing knowledge about COVID-19, advancements in care are changing the way people recover from the virus — and helping curb its spread. At the onset of the pandemic, the two options for recovery involved either a hospital stay or total isolation at home, leaving many with nothing in between. To help relieve this pain […]
As COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise in areas of the country, telehealth continues to play an important role in the delivery of healthcare, especially to those most vulnerable to the virus. The Public Health Emergency has officially been extended through January 23, 2021, which means that the majority of the telehealth waivers on the […]
Survey data indicates that although patients like and continue to want to access telehealth, they also see a need for in-person care access in the future. By Sara Heath November 12, 2020 – The COVID-19 pandemic, and the changes in healthcare delivery stemming from it, has left its mark on the healthcare industry and pushed many patients to […]
The American Telemedicine Association reflects on telehealth expansion during the Trump Administration and looks forward to progress under President-Elect Biden. By Hannah Nelson November 11, 2020 – In response to the results of the 2020 presidential election with America choosing former Vice President Joe Biden as its 46th president, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) issued a statement calling for policymakers to expand […]
Although telehealth care access proved beneficial for some patients during the pandemic, in-person options were essential to promoting health equity and trust. By Sara Heath November 10, 2020 – While the COVID-19 pandemic forced other healthcare organizations to spend March and April shuttering their doors and transitioning to telehealth care access options, Cahaba Medical Care in Alabama was […]
Zoom has agreed to upgrade its security practices in a tentative settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which alleges that Zoom lied to users for years by claiming it offered end-to-end encryption. “[S]ince at least 2016, Zoom misled users by touting that it offered ‘end-to-end, 256-bit encryption’ to secure users’ communications, when in fact it […]
There may never be a better time for your medical practice to start developing its telemedicine portfolio. Recently, the federal government has made it easier for healthcare providers to provide and bill for telemedicine services. While some of these changes are temporary, applying only while the COVID-19 public health emergency persists, other changes are permanent. […]
On October 29, 2020, CMS issued the Home Health Prospective Payment System final rule [CMS-1730-F, CMS-1744-IFC, and CMS-5531-IFC], which permanently authorizes use of telecommunications technology as part of patient care under the Medicare home health benefit.[1] The final rule is another regulatory step toward CMS recognizing the critical role of virtual care in the home […]
The Federal Communications Commission will open applications Nov. 6 for its $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program, which aims to improve telehealth access for low-income Americans and veterans. The program, which was introduced by the FCC in 2018, will provide up to $100 million from the Universal Service Fund over a three-year period to help providers implement connected care […]
With forethought and the right technology on board, remote patient monitoring can be a good complement to telehealth, allowing physicians to receive data about their patients’ in real time. As the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown kept people at home to avoid getting sick, especially those with chronic health conditions, experts recommended remote patient monitoring (RPM) […]
The three-year, $100 million program, aimed at boosting broadband connectivity in underserved parts of the country to support telehealth expansion, will accept applications for one month, beginning on November 6. By Eric Wicklund November 05, 2020 – The Federal Communications Commission is set to launch its Connected Care Pilot Program, a three-year, $100 million project aimed at expanding telehealth […]
CMS released or proposed five rules since Oct. 28 concerning new payment reforms, price transparency regulations and coverage of a COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s a breakdown of the five rules and proposals, beginning with the most recent: 1. CMS released a final rule Nov. 2 that updates payment rates for dialysis services. It takes effect Jan. 1. The […]
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Medicare 1135 waiver immediately expanded the use of telehealth and bypassed HIPAA requirements, allowing essentially any video chat application to be used for remote patient visits. Within days, free video chat apps of all sorts became widely used by skilled nursing facilities and practically all other healthcare provider […]