The Long (Un)Winding Road: FDA Maps Out How the End of the Public Health Emergency Will Impact its COVID-19 Policies
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) has issued more than 80 guidance documents describing flexibilities that would be available to manufacturers of medical devices, drugs and biological products, and foods during the public health emergency. Several of these guidance documents have been modified, updated, […]
Executive Summary: Tracking Telehealth Changes State-by-State in Response to COVID-19 (UPDATED)
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the healthcare services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients with quick […]
How to Utilize Telehealth Services in 2023 for Improved Quality of Life as a Senior
Recently, technology has transformed the definition of what a “medical appointment” looks like. Now, some medical appointments are done at home in front of a computer. This virtual medical visit trend is providing seniors with more autonomy when it comes to their healthcare services. Telehealth services are here to stay and allow seniors more freedom […]
Telehealth Is Proving to be a Boon to Cancer and Diabetes Care
Like many people, I was introduced to telehealth during the pandemic. I met with my psychiatrist virtually, settling onto my couch instead of hers for our sessions. But those appointments required only a conversation. It made sense that psychotherapy easily made a switch to the online world. What’s more surprising is how often telehealth now […]
Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)
Critical Access Hospital is a designation given to eligible rural hospitals by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Congress created the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation through the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-33) in response to over 400 rural hospital closures during the 1980s and early 1990s. Since its creation, […]
How Telehealth Policy is Evolving at the State Level
March 09, 2023 – The COVID-19 pandemic spurred telehealth use to new heights, with policy changes and flexibilities enacted at the state and federal levels supporting the rapid integration of telehealth into routine care delivery. But now, with the public health emergency ending on May 11, lawmakers are evaluating how telehealth policy needs to evolve to continue […]
Remote Monitoring Services Under Review: Update On Potential Medicare Coverage Policies
09 March 2023 by Caroline Reignley (Washington, DC) , Deborah R. Godes (Washington, DC), Michael Ryan (Washington, DC), Dale Van Demark (New York), Marshall Jackson (Washington, DC) and Abby Higgins (London) A recent multijurisdictional contractor advisory committee (CAC) meeting held by six of the seven Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) gave stakeholders an initial opportunity to provide feedback on the strength of clinical evidence to support Medicare coverage […]
What to expect now that we’re expecting: What the end of the public health emergency means for healthcare providers Part 2: Guidance on telehealth
I. Introduction On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced its plan to end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023. As discussed here, the PHE declarations have allowed the federal government to waive and modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance program requirements and provide liability immunity to providers to administer services. With […]
Remote Monitoring Services Under Review: Update on Potential Medicare Coverage Policies
A recent multijurisdictional contractor advisory committee (CAC) meeting held by six of the seven Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) gave stakeholders an initial opportunity to provide feedback on the strength of clinical evidence to support Medicare coverage for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) services for non-implantable medical devices. We previewed how this […]
How to Bill for Physical Therapy Telehealth Services in 2023
Many physical therapy centers began providing telehealth at the start of the COVID- 19 public health emergency (PHE). In 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) CMS added 11 new services to the list of telehealth services covered by Medicare during the COVID-19. The CY 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule […]
CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the Transition Forward from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Feb 27, 2023 Based on current COVID-19 trends, the Department of Health and Human Services is planning for the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 (PHE), declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, to expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023. Thanks to the Administration’s whole-of-government approach to combatting […]
American Hospital Association voices support for telehealth expansion bill
Jeff Lagasse, Associate Editor The American Hospital Association has come out in support of bipartisan legislation, introduced in the House of Representatives, that would require the Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to study expanded telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommend potential enhancements to telehealth access and […]