On March 17, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) broadened Medicare coverage of telehealth services on a temporary and emergency basis pursuant to its waiver authority under Section 1135(b) of the Social Security Act. This waiver authority was expanded under the Coronavirus Preparedness and […]
As the Trump administration moves to lower barriers to using virtual health care services during the coronavirus pandemic, experts say the efforts will still leave a key demographic struggling to access the online services in the outbreak: older, higher-risk Americans in rural communities who lack high-speed internet. In recent weeks, the U.S. government has been […]
Last week, FDA published a guidance document, Enforcement Policy for Non-Invasive Remote Monitoring Devices Used to Support Patient Monitoring During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency, effective immediately, outlining a policy to enhance the ability and capability of non-invasive remote monitoring devices to monitor patients while reducing contact between patients and healthcare providers (HCP) to […]
As countries around the globe enforce social distancing and self-isolation to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth is emerging as a critical tool to connect physicians and other healthcare professionals with patients dealing with chronic cardiovascular conditions. “Before this pandemic, telehealth was sort of an ‘icing on the cake’ kind of a situation for the vast […]
The economy is not the only thing getting a boost from the stimulus package passed by Congress today. In an effort to expand access to virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic, more barriers to telehealth are falling with passage of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which President Donald Trump […]
Desperate to free up beds for only the sickest Covid-19 patients, hospitals nationwide are weighing the use of new technologies to monitor patients from their homes. Physicians at several hospitals said their discussions with makers of these devices have kicked into high gear in recent days after the FDA issued guidance indicating it would not object to […]
On March 27, the House of Representatives approved a historic $2 trillion stimulus package and sent it to President Trump for his signature, who then signed it into law. The package includes $100 billion to provide monetary assistance to the nation’s struggling hospitals coping with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The legislation will also deliver checks to individuals, expand unemployment benefits […]
As the COVID-19 outbreak keeps spreading globally, health system leaders, clinicians on the front lines and others have emphasized the use of telehealth during a time when in-person care increases the risk that others—including those who are delivering care—could get the virus. Indeed, there has been no shortage of reports and stories in the mainstream and trade […]
The House of Representatives passed a $2 trillion stimulus package Friday, officially clearing one of the last major hurdles for the emergency bill set to aid both American companies and individuals during the COVID-19 crisis. The record-breaking stimulus package also includes several provisions aimed at home health providers. Once signed into law, it will likely change how […]
MLN Booklet TELEHEALTH SERVICES ICN MLN901705 March 2020 Target Audience: Medicare Fee-For-Service Providers The Hyperlink Table, at the end of this document, provides the complete URL for each hyperlink. TABLE OF CONTENTS Originating Sites………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Distant Site Practitioners……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Telehealth Services……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Telehealth Services Billing and Payment………………………………………………………………………………. 7 Telehealth Originating Sites Billing and Payment………………………………………………………………….. 8 […]
Telehealth (or telemedicine, virtual care, or any of several other ways to refer to nontraditional delivery of healthcare services through use of digital tools rather than in person interaction) has been a developing area for several years as healthcare providers, payers and others within the healthcare ecosystem try to devise ways to improve access and […]
On March 18, 2020, the Senate passed and the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Families First Act” or the “Act) which was first drafted and passed by the House earlier in the week. As noted in our Law and the Workplace summary of the Act, the new Act contains many […]
ATLANTA — The push for telemedicine across Georgia has been slow, but with health officials cautioning patients to avoid hospitals amid the COVID-19 outbreak, proponents say it’s needed more than ever. The state’s top health officials have urged the elderly and chronic disease patients to stay out of hospitals for risk of infection and have […]
How will we get through the coronavirus outbreak? One important pathway goes through your smartphone and computer. Telemedicine, which allows doctors to consult with patients remotely, has emerged as a vital way to cope with the growing surge in demand for medical services — and to keep health workers safer. Providers are using virtual visits […]
