By Robert Holly | September 24, 2020 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday released $165 million in supplemental funding for Money Follows the Person (MFP) programs, which encourage transitions from long-term care facilities to home- and community-based settings. In the grand scheme of government health care spending, $165 million is only a drop in the […]
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) issued a policy comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), advocating for telehealth-friendly changes to Medicare’s telehealth coverage and reimbursement rules. The ATA’s letter also made recommendations on CMS’ proposed interpretations on remote patient monitoring (RPM) requirements. The letter was submitted in response to CMS’ 2021 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. The ATA letter notes: […]
By Jackie Drees If telehealth is going to provide value to the healthcare system, it must address issues such as health equity and disparities in healthcare while delivering safe and high-quality care, according to Shantanu Agrawal, MD, and Tejal Gandhi, MD. For a Sept. 23 viewpoint article published in Health Affairs, Dr. Agrawal, president and CEO […]
A new plan released by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earlier this month calls for improving rural health care services, especially by facilitating the expansion of telehealth in rural communities. Even before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health care in rural areas has struggled with a number of longstanding challenges, including clinician shortages […]
The economic fallout of COVID-19 may accelerate acquisitions of independent practices unless practice leaders consider new, but not necessarily novel, ways of doing business. By Jacqueline LaPointe September 21, 2020 – COVID-19 seems like the final nail in the coffin for independent practices. Devastating financial losses from the start of the pandemic, stagnating patient volumes, and a new […]
The report, recently published in Medicina, was prepared by clinicians at NYU Langone Health and the NYU Long Island School of Medicine, both of which used telehealth to treat hundreds of thousands of patients this summer. By Eric Wicklund September 21, 2020 – Two New York health systems have published a blueprint for using telehealth to diagnose and treat […]
A bill introduced last week on Capitol Hill would prompt payers to cover any telehealth services if those services are also furnished in person. By Eric Wicklund September 21, 2020 – The latest bill introduced on Capitol Hill aims to level the playing field for payers by ensuring that all telehealth services be covered if those services are […]
Senior living providers are spending much more on technology during Covid-19, even if many of them are also not sure what they’ll do with it in the future. Those are among the findings of a new survey conducted by Senior Housing News in partnership with global health technology firm Philips. The survey — conducted online from July […]
Abstract During a pandemic when hospitals are stretched and patients need isolation, the role of hospital‐in‐the‐home (HITH) providing acute medical care at home has never been more relevant. We aimed to define and address the challenges to acute home care services posed by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Planning for service operation involves staffing, equipment availability and […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concern among health care leaders about the preparedness of acute care systems to adapt to and manage large-scale environmental disruptions. Current physician compensation models do not align incentives with the dynamic and unique strategic priorities of health systems, especially in the face of unforeseen circumstances. Advancements in the health care […]
September 18, 2020 Skylar Jeremias A survey from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) revealed that patients with rheumatic diseases are struggling to get access to health care treatment. A national survey of individuals with rheumatic diseases found that many face difficulties in obtaining access to care, with many forgoing physician care completely. The survey was conducted […]
The ESRD Treatment Choices (ETS) Model incentivizes providers who support home-based dialysis and care – and could open the door to more telehealth and remote patient monitoring programs. By Eric Wicklund September 18, 2020 – Federal officials have unveiled a new treatment model for patients living with kidney disease that could boost interest in telehealth and remote patient […]
AACE leaders on embracing technology in medicine by Howard M. Lando, MD, and Susan L. Samson, MD, PhD September 18, 2020 Telehealth has been available as a tool for health care practitioners for years but, until recently, it was primarily used to treat patients in rural areas and with various restrictions, including where the service could […]
What’s the news: The AMA is supporting S. 4375, the “Telehealth Modernization Act of 2020,” which would permanently remove many of the regulatory restrictions on telehealth that were temporarily lifted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and have enabled patients to receive care without leaving their homes. “During the pandemic, telemedicine has allowed physicians to […]
A new Health Affairs blog urges the federal government to continue telehealth waivers for substance abuse treatment during the COVID-19 emergency and asks for permanent changes to safeguards around the use of buprenorphine. By Eric Wicklund September 18, 2020 – A group of clinicians and public health experts is pressing the federal government to make permanent telehealth policy […]