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ATA applauds 2-year extension of telehealth flexibilities in Congressional Omnibus
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 […]
The Future of Telemedicine Post-PHE and How to Advocate for Change: An interview with Nathaniel Lacktman
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 […]
Telehealth two-year extensions included in US Federal ‘omnibus’ budget bill
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 […]
Telehealth Policies, Regulations Remain Inconsistent Across States
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 […]
OMNIBUS BILL WOULD EXTEND TELEHEALTH WAIVERS, HOSPITAL AT HOME PROGRAM
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 […]
Rehab Therapy Telehealth Takeaways from the 2023 Final Rule
The 2023 final rule didn’t give rehab therapists much in the way of clarity when it comes to the long-term future of telehealth as a reimbursable service. But, it did present a path forward—if therapists are willing to take it. Here’s where rehab therapy telehealth stands in 2023, and how it can become a permanent addition in […]
Telehealth finds receptive ear in Congress; $1.7T spending bill includes 2-year extension
Advocates for telehealth kept pressing Congress to ensure access for virtual care, and it appears lawmakers got the message. Lawmakers are working on final approval of the $1.7 trillion federal spending bill before the government is slated to shut down at the end of the week. Senate leaders included a provision to extend telehealth waivers […]
Congressional deal meets docs halfway on pay, extends telehealth flexibility
Potential pay cut relief that addresses some physician and therapist concerns is tucked into a 4,000-page proposed 2023 spending bill announced Monday by members of Congress. The draft bill would offset more than half of a key cut the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services planned to enact with the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule’s physician […]
Here are the health policies in Congress’ $1.7T omnibus
A major end-of-the-year spending package released early Monday only gave partial relief to physicians seeking to get rid of a 4.5% pay cut set to go into effect next year, amid other major health policy reforms. Congress is expected to pass the $1.7 trillion package by Friday to avoid a government shutdown. Here is a […]
What Home-Based Care Leaders Should Know About The $1.66 Trillion Spending Bill
The proposed $1.66 trillion omnibus government funding bill – which is expected to pass through the U.S. House and Senate this week – includes multiple home-based care provisions of importance. Among those is new home health payment transparency language, an extension of the rural add-on, a separate extension of the Money Follows the Person program […]
2-Year Telehealth Extension Included in End of Year Spending Package
Vote Expected by End of Week
Dear CTeL Members, This morning, Congressional leadership released text of the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA). This legislation includes more than $1.7 trillion in discretionary resources to fund various aspects of our federal government, including a 2-year extension of the telehealth waivers we have benefited from during the federal public health emergency. […]
Congress’ last-minute $1.7 trillion omnibus package: 8 healthcare takeaways
Lawmakers rolled out a roughly $1.7 trillion year-end spending bill Dec. 20 to fund the U.S. government through most of 2023, tacking on proposals to extend telehealth and hospital-at-home flexibilities while leaving out other healthcare asks. Lawmakers have until the end of Dec. 23 to clear the 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill or federal funds are […]
Federal Spending Bill Calls for Long-Term Care Strategy for Vets, Telehealth Extensions
Among other spending allocations, Congress released an omnibus bill with provisions related to nursing homes and long-term care. The spending package calls for a “strategy for long-term care for aging veterans” and a study on the costs of serious mental illness, including in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities. The bill, which Congress is expected to vote […]