On March 6, 2020, President Trump signed H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (the Act) into law (Public Law 116-123). The legislation, which was introduced on March 4 and swiftly passed both the House and Senate, provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies as well as state and local […]
Leveraging diagnostic testing technologies, telehealth and digital services are key to the administration’s rapid response to the coronavirus.Melissa HarrisFri, 03/13/2020 – 16:44ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedIn Improved diagnostic testing technology, telehealth, screening website services and other health IT solutions are critical elements to addressing the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, according to the White House national emergency announcement Friday. President Donald […]
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a bulletin reiterating the ways that patient information may be shared under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule in an outbreak of infectious disease or other emergency situation. The bulletin serves as a reminder that […]
With concerns around staffing and supply shortages in nursing homes amid the coronavirus, telemedicine has emerged as a key potential weapon, receiving the first-ever major green light for reimbursement on the national level — as part of an $8.3 billion bill allowing the federal government to cover remote care for Medicare recipients passed last Wednesday. But the […]
One of the major hurdles to the expansion of telehealth has been the Medicare “originating site” requirement. This requirement limits Medicare telehealth reimbursement to services delivered in a physician’s office or healthcare facility in a rural area, but not in a home or non-rural area. In a shift, the “Telehealth Services During Certain Emergency Periods […]
Monday, March 9, 2020 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released several fact sheets on COVID-19 coverage and benefits, and announced a second Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code, U0002, for billing COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Medicare will accept claims with U0001 and U0002 starting on April 1, 2020, for dates of service […]
As part of emergency funding to combat the threat of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), last week Congress waived many of the telehealth restrictions for Medicare services in certain situations. This monumental change could—depending on how it is implemented—radically alter how telehealth is performed in connection with the government’s most ubiquitous healthcare program. In a […]
The U.S. Centers for Health & Human Services (CMS) has issued guidelines for protecting health care workers who operate in the home and community from COVID-19, including hospice providers. The CMS materials contain guidance for screening for and treatment of the virus in addition to when patients should be transitioned to higher acuity care. The agency recommended […]
Vice President Pence said Tuesday that a group of major health insurance companies have agreed not to charge patients copays when they get tested for coronavirus. Pence made the comments at a meeting at the White House with the CEOs of major health insurance companies aimed at encouraging people to get tested by removing cost […]
Thanks to COVID-19, we’re running low on personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizers, and allegedly, in some cases, responsible oversight of government responders. Now it appears that we may run low on healthcare workers thanks to the growing number of such workers who self-quarantine. The first documented instance of community transmission of a patient in Vacaville, California, led to […]
As the COVID-19 outbreak encroaches into communities across the US, payers, providers, and vendors are using telehealth to expand access to care. By Samantha McGrail March 10, 2020 – Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) recently announced that its network of 36 independently owned BCBS companies will increase access to prescription drugs, enhanced telehealth, and other clinical support systems to […]