Telehealth visits generate significant cost savings for adult cancer patients younger than 65, according to a new research article. Cancer is among the most expensive medical conditions to treat in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Direct costs include multiple types of treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Indirect costs include travel […]
Monday, January 16, 2023 Much is being written about “remote work” – is it productive, will demand for it continue or be curtailed in a recession, is cybersecurity compromised, does it inhibit workplace culture, collaboration, etc. Lots of questions, few clear answers. The discussion seems largely centered on office workers, professional services providers like me, […]
Claire Wallace – Tuesday, January 10th, 2023 About 85 percent of U.S. surgeons are using telehealth in some capacity, according to the American Medical Association’s “2021 Telehealth Survey Report,” with 80 percent saying telehealth gives patients better access to care. As telehealth becomes more common, there are several ways physicians can optimize the experience for themselves and […]
January 10, 2023 Krupal B. Patel, MD, MSc1,2; Kea Turner, PhD, MPH3; Amir Alishahi Tabriz, MD, PhD, MPH3; et alBrian D. Gonzalez, PhD3; Laura B. Oswald, PhD3; Oliver T. Nguyen, MSHI3; Young-Rock Hong, PhD, MPH4; Heather S. L. Jim, PhD3; Anthony C. Nichols, MD5; Xuefeng Wang, PhD6; Edmondo Robinson, MD, MBA7,8; Cristina Naso, MEd9; Philippe E. Spiess, MD, MS9,10 Author Affiliations Article Information JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(1):e2250211. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.50211 Key Points Question What are the estimated cost savings of using telehealth among patients with cancer? Findings This economic evaluation of cost savings from completed telehealth appointments included 11 688 patients younger […]
Jan 10, 2023 Renee Dowling Learning about the telehealth codes you’ll need to use in 2023. Question: Can you please give us the new telehealth services codes for 2023? A: Medicare Telehealth Services for 2023, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is adding new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes to the list […]
Telehealth oncology services saved patients with cancer time, travel and money, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open. The findings suggest expansion of telehealth services could effectively reduce financial burdens among those with cancer, researchers concluded. Rationale and methods As the cost of cancer care continues to increase, patients undergoing cancer treatment face significant […]
The inefficient nature of traditional healthcare provision can lead to a lot of frustration and dissatisfaction among those in receipt of care, this brings into sharp focus the benefits that are there to be gained from telehealth for patients. Consequences of Inefficient Healthcare provision Traditional care provision suffers due to long standing institutional techniques and […]
Friday, January 6, 2023 Introduction On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the “Act”). The Act provides for nearly $1.7 trillion in funding across a range of domestic initiatives, including certain appropriations to healthcare and related programs. In addition to funding, the Act modifies certain telehealth provisions, expands and extends components […]
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) on Monday called the two-year extension of telehealth provisions in the recently passed omnibus bill a “vote of confidence” for virtual healthcare. “There is little doubt of the value of telehealth,” Kyle Zebley, ATA senior vice president of public policy said in a statement. “Our work will now renew in earnest to […]
By Mike Miliard December 22, 2022 The American Telemedicine Association this week cheered the bipartisan omnibus appropriations bill from both houses of Congress for including a two-year extension for Medicare telehealth flexibilities that have been in place since the COVID-19 public health emergency was declared in 2020. WHY IT MATTERSThe telehealth group’s ATA Action affiliate […]
22 December 2022 Health Care Law Today Author(s): Nathaniel M. Lacktman Many of the telehealth flexibilities that became popular with both patients and clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic will expire when the public health emergency (PHE) ends. After three years of operating under these waivers, an abrupt ending to them could cause significant disruption to telemedicine providers […]
December 22, 2022 Expanded telehealth access extended for two years. The ‘omnibus’ fiscal 2023 spending bill before Congress Thursday contains extensions for four areas of improved national telehealth access developed during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) starting in January 2020. Because they apply to Medicare and high-deductible health plans (HDHP), they become guidelines for commercial […]
Assessing the ongoing evolution of telehealth policies and regulations, a recent report from the Commonwealth Fund described how rules vary between different US states, resulting from states’ unique experiences early in the pandemic. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, most in-person care services were restricted as lockdowns proliferated across the country. As a result, providers began […]
Congress is expected to pass an omnibus spending bill this week that would extend pandemic-era Medicare telehealth waivers until the end of 2024. The bill would also keep in place the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) innovative Hospital at Home program, and continue several other programs aimed at boosting connected health access and coverage. Among several organizations […]