Final rule expands Medicare telehealth services and increases pay for office visits, but cuts emergency physician payment. Susan Morse, Managing Editor A final rule released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services late today adds more than 60 services to the Medicare telehealth list that will continue to be covered beyond the end of the […]
The federal government on Tuesday finalized its proposed physician fee schedule for the 2021 calendar year, formalizing cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates for therapy services provided to residents covered under Part B — while also expanding some telehealth flexibilities offered during COVID-19. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in August floated a 9% […]
Have you been wondering what telemedicine, telehealth, and telecare mean? Find out now. With the recent practice of social distancing and quarantining due to COVID-19, more medical health practices than ever before have turned to telemedicine, telehealth, and telecare to treat patients and deliver medical advice. Between telecommunication apps and video conferencing tools, patients are […]
In an effort to boost value-based care, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that it has finalized changes to the Physician Self-Referral Law — often referred to as the Stark Law. For home health providers, the changes could mean more opportunities for value-based care arrangements moving forward, experts believe. Broadly, […]
In an effort to increase hospital capacity amid the current COVID-19 surge, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday announced “unprecedented” flexibilities around providing hospital-level care for patients in their homes. Similar to CMS’s recent allowances surrounding telehealth, the agency’s latest efforts are focused on lifting barriers that could potentially hinder […]
ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: We deployed a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) program to monitor patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon hospital discharge. We describe the patient characteristics, program characteristics, and clinical outcomes of patients in our RPM program. METHODS: We enrolled COVID-19 patients being discharged home from the hospital. Enrolled patients had an app, and were […]
The US government has introduced a scheme to allow hospitals to reduce the number of inpatients they see through a telehealth platform that would helps deliver acute care at home. The move comes as the number of new cases of COVID-19 have been climbing to around 180,000 a day, with deaths since the start of […]
CHICAGO, IL — Nov. 24, 2020 — In the midst of a global pandemic, millions of people have experienced telehealth with a virtual exam for the first time this year. Health care delivery is big business, and telemedicine offers more than a safe and convenient experience for patients. Liberty Advisor Group reviews how at its core, telehealth is a […]
The second of a two-part story on 10 takeaways about the telehealth boom. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a bumpy ride in the U.S., featuring one controversy after another. One of the few areas of agreement is that the widespread adoption of telehealth amid the pandemic has been, by and large, a positive development. The […]
Building off its Hospital Without Walls initiative, it’s offering new flexibilities around telehealth and remote patient monitoring as the country enters “a new level of crisis response,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. By Mike MiliardNovember 25, 202004:50 PM The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday took several new steps to help U.S. hospitals […]
The Acute Hospital Care at Home program would allow participating hospitals to qualify for Medicare waivers to treat patients at home via telehealth, reducing the strain on EDs and in-patient services. By Eric Wicklund November 25, 2020 – Six health systems across the country are expanding their telehealth platform to treat patients at home under a new program […]
The Calendar Year (CY) 2021 final rule updating the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) includes increases in the national, standardized 30-day period payment and per-visit payment for home health agencies (HHAs) and makes notable changes to labor market delineations that impact the geographic wage index, but maintains many of the other policies and procedures previously […]
The American Telemedicine Association said the newly released final rules move the healthcare industry closer to a value-based care model. By Kat JercichNovember 25, 202009:58 AM The American Telemedicine Association this week issued a statement in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ final rules regarding the Physician Self-Referral Law (also known […]
Hospital visit recovery across key metrics is still down compared to pre-pandemic levels, and new consumer research suggests volumes could stay low as patients prefer telehealth services. By Jacqueline LaPointe November 25, 2020 – Hospital visit recovery may be hitting another bump in the road as new consumer research indicates that patients prefer telehealth services and other alternative […]
Remote patient monitoring ecosystems should not be treated in the same way as traditional endpoints, say cybersecurity experts. By Kat Jercich November 24, 202001:00 PM As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to push patients away from in-person care, many health systems have ramped up their remote patient monitoring ecosystems. But with that increase in endpoints […]
