Thinking about telehealth as a site of care is a philosophical consideration for those looking to sustain success with the care model. Jeff Lagasse, Associate Editor Telehealth adoption has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with good reason: Patients are hesitant to venture into brick-and-mortar care settings, and yet they have health needs that must still […]
The five strategies, laid out in a recent Health Affairs blog, target barriers to telehealth adoption that go beyond reimbursement issues. By Eric Wicklund September 11, 2020 – While federal and state regulators are developing strategies to give telehealth room to grow after the coronavirus pandemic, a recent series of surveys among New York physicians suggests that growth […]
Knowing it may be met with some skepticism, the Trump administration Thursday announced a sweeping plan that officials say will transform health care in rural America. Even before the coronavirus pandemic reached into the nation’s less-populated regions, rural Americans were sicker, poorer and older than the rest of the country. Hospitals are shuttering at record […]
Telehealth reimbursement expansions granted during the PHE may be limited to providers in Advanced APMs moving forward to prevent program integrity issues, MedPAC said at a recent meeting. By Jacqueline LaPointe September 11, 2020 – The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is the latest group to weigh telehealth reimbursement expansions after the COVID-19 pandemic. In a meeting held virtually last […]
Dive Brief: Members of the congressional advisory group Medicare Payment Advisory Commission agree telehealth is here to stay, but are concerned about how to improve access without also running up substantial costs in the Medicare program. The group weighed various Medicare telehealth payment policies that could become permanent after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends […]
Jackie Drees – Tuesday, September 8th, 2020 The Federal Communications Commission recently published application details on its $100 million Connected Care Pilot Program, which aims to enhance telehealth access for low-income Americans and veterans. FCC released the additional details for the program as well as application instructions on Sept. 3. The agency first introduced the Connected Care program in 2018. Five […]
A bipartisan pair of US senators have proposed legislation that would allow certain controlled substances to be prescribed via an initial telehealth encounter and—under certain conditions—expand Medicare reimbursement of audio-only substance use disorder treatment services. The proposed TREATS Act has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and could significantly […]
On August 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule to update its payment policies under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for calendar year 2021. The proposed rule was issued in tandem with a presidential executive order, which directed the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) […]
Providence St. Joseph Health team members explained during a recent HIMSS20 Digital presentation how their telehospitalist program helped fill the gap for critical access hospitals. Smaller critical care hospitals may not have the patient volume to justify having a full-time physician for the night hours. This, said panelists during a recent HIMSS20 Digital presentation, can […]
A remote patient monitoring program for babies who’ve had heart surgery has helped reduce infant mortality by some 40 percent, according to the American Heart Association. In a scientific statement published in the latest edition of the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers found that an interstage home monitoring (IHM) program, which gives parents mHealth tools […]
The public health emergency (PHE) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in systemic changes throughout the nation’s health care system. Almost overnight, health systems, providers and the government were forced to collaborate to ‘stand up’ field hospitals, testing sites, and quarantine procedures, while postponing or cancelling certain elective procedures and ceasing in-person encounters. One […]
Over the past five months, Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have dramatically, but temporarily, expanded coverage and reimbursement for telehealth services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes are in effect for the duration of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Public Health Emergency (PHE). As there are significant […]
On August 3, 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13941 (the “Executive Order”) which expands access to certain telehealth services post-pandemic. The Executive Order focuses on telehealth access for individuals living in rural areas and implements the following mechanisms: The Secretary of HHS is tasked with developing a new model that will give rural providers flexibilities from […]
When Curtis Carlson started having back pain this spring, he tried to put off seeing a doctor. The COVID-19 pandemic was raging, his job at a transitional housing organization in Ukiah, Calif. was busier than ever amid the economic collapse, and a hospital seemed like the last place he wanted to be. But when he […]
On August 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed to permanently maintain some of the COVID-19 temporary expansions to the Medicare Telehealth List and will consider comments on other telehealth expansions. CMS already covered a limited number of medical and mental health services through telehealth. The secretary of Health and Human Services may […]