A bipartisan group of 50 Senators, led by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), introduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021, which builds on prior iterations of the bill with learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill attempts to address the post-pandemic Medicare telehealth landscape. While the federal […]
May 4, 2021 – Canistota, SD – On Monday, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr applauded legislation introduced in the Senate that would make permanent telehealth flexibilities that were made available during the COVID-19 pandemic and expand coverage of telehealth services. The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021, introduced […]
With lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic, health systems and telehealth vendors are shaping their connected health strategies – and identifying key trends – for years to come. May 04, 2021 – The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically altered the telehealth landscape, pushing providers to adopt or expand connected health platforms and tools to meet the demand for […]
Tuesday, April 27th, 2021 WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 27, 2021)—A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday, April 22, to provide reimbursement to providers for telehealth services in the Medicare Home Health benefit. Introduced as S. 1309, the Home Health Emergency Access to Telehealth (HEAT) Act is a top 2021 legislative priority for the […]
The home health industry hasn’t given up on securing telehealth reimbursement during the public health emergency. Their tenacity is being rewarded with recent legislative movement on Capitol Hill. A group of bipartisan Senators on Thursday introduced S. 1309, the new version of the Home Health Emergency Access to Telehealth (HEAT) Act under the current Congress. […]
The CONNECT for Health Act is back before Congress for a 4th time, and backers say the massive telehealth bill could cross the finish line this time on broad bipartisan support and pressure to set long-term connected health policy. By Eric Wicklund April 30, 2021 – Will the fourth time be the charm for the CONNECT for Health […]
HHS is kicking off Black Maternal Health Week by offering three four-year grants, totaling $12 million, to projects aimed at boosting maternal health outcomes among underserved populations in rural America. By Eric Wicklund April 13, 2021 – Federal officials are making $12 million available for three projects that aim to approve maternal and obstetrics care for underserved populations […]
After a slow start, the pandemic forced an embrace of telehealth. Now it’s changing the way patient care takes place. By Walt Ellenberger Most telehealth visits with patients are for routine care, not potentially life-changing diagnoses. Yet Dr. Albert Chan, the chief of digital patient experience at Sutter Health, describes a time when a cardiology […]
3 COVID-19-Driven Healthcare Changes to Make Permanent Living through a pandemic has taught us a lot about necessity — from what we can and cannot live without in our daily lives to the programs, policies and systems that support our nation’s critical infrastructures. Take healthcare, for instance. When a novel coronavirus emerged, it necessitated swift […]
Significant attention has been paid to the recent surge in telehealth. This attention is valid. While usage of telehealth has declined from the initial months of the pandemic, FAIR Health data show that telehealth claim lines had increased more than 2,800% nationally from December 2019 to December 2020. Significant attention has been paid to the recent […]
As a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency, telehealth has evolved and will continue to evolve. As part of this evolution, CMS finalized a rule that expands Medicare coverage for telehealth services. This final rule, along with other new rules and waivers by the federal government, state governments and private payors, has significantly expanded […]
CMS recently expanded its list of telehealth services covered during the COVID-19 pandemic to include 24 new audiology and speech-language pathology services. CMS issued the updated list of codes March 30. The new services include diagnosis and treatment of swallowing problems, therapy for improving cognitive function and assessing speech-generating devices. Here is the list of the 24 new CPT […]
When the COVID-19 pandemic began within the United States in early 2020, residents of long-term care facilities — including assisted living communities, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes and other facilities — were severely affected by widespread infections and deaths. Operators acted quickly to restrict visitor access and limit resident activities. As a result of social distancing […]
