Emory Healthcare, like other systems during the pandemic, has leaned heavily on telehealth access. And now, there’s no going back. March 2020 brought about one of the biggest catalysts for care delivery change at Emory Healthcare. Telehealth access, which once was a key tool for the health system mostly on the hospital side, soon became […]
CMS is planning to eliminate 74 of the 83 codes created to cover telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic, though it’s adding 13 new codes and could be swayed by public comments to add more coverage. August 14, 2020 – While Congress debates extending telehealth coverage and President Trump tries to compel it through an Executive Order, […]
Highlights The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Proposed Rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), which contains updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The MPFS dictates Medicare rates and policies under Part B, while the QPP implements two value-based payment programs: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment […]
On August 3, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that announces and solicits public comments on proposed policy changes for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule and other Medicare Part B services provided on or after January 1, 2021. Many of the CMS proposals involve expansion of telehealth services which […]
Sep 10, 2020 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 […]
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 […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has clarified how providers can use telehealth and mHealth to establish and run remote patient monitoring programs, with changes that some feel could hinder care at home. By Eric Wicklund September 01, 2020 – The federal government is clarifying how it regulates remote patient monitoring, with changes that could significantly affect […]
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 […]