Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, regulatory, reimbursement and technological changes have all helped trigger a massive and rapid expansion of telehealth accessibility. At the same time, say industry leaders, vulnerable groups – especially people of color – are being left behind. “Regrettably, minority groups are being left behind by the telehealth revolution,” said […]
Stakeholders are calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to make telehealth policy changes permanent. Healthcare stakeholders are calling for telehealth policy changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic to remain even after the pandemic ends. Since March, federal organizations such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have taken steps […]
Posted 08 June 2020 | By Kari Oakes Guidance on use of non-invasive remote monitoring devices for patient care during the coronavirus public health emergency was expanded and updated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday. The guidance, originally issued in March, addresses the emergency of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by allowing modifications that […]
The reality of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has caused social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and self-imposed quarantines after potential interaction with a sick individual, has necessitated widespread use of telemedicine in the United States to extents never seen before. Now that these capabilities have been used, they should not be rolled back, according to […]
Jun 6, 2020 Currently, Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) pays for ambulance services only when patients are transported to covered destinations, mainly the ED. This incentive of traditional ambulance transportation limits the flexibility of ambulance providers and suppliers from addressing emergency healthcare needs of Medicare beneficiaries following a 911 call in a way that may more appropriately […]
Sudden adoption of virtual care brings long-term legal challenges as the platform’s popularity outlasts the pandemic. Following previous incremental advancements in telehealth, the COVID-19 pandemic thrust the technology to center stage during a public health emergency. Virtually overnight, federal and state regulators relaxed regulations spanning multiple agencies that historically hindered the ability of providers to […]
Dive Brief: Influential lobbying group American College of Physicians has asked CMS to extend its current waivers allowing reimbursement for telemedicine services at least until the end of 2021, or when a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19 has been developed. Currently, they are set to expire when the public health emergency passes. Premier, a major group […]
Medicare Advantage plans need to figure out how the delay of care due to the COVID-19 pandemic will impact their risk scores in the long term, experts say. Many of the services that have been deferred by consumers would have made up the sources of diagnoses that plans would have used to establish risk scores for […]
The Federal Trade Commission has offered its views on several proposals to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage for telehealth services after the COVID-19 emergency is over. June 05, 2020 – The Federal Trade Commission is joining the groundswell of support for developing new CMS telehealth coverage policies beyond the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter sent last month to […]
Washington, DC (June 4, 2020) In a letter sent this afternoon to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) the American College of Physicians (ACP) said that many of the accommodations that have been put in place to expand the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as some of the other […]
On May 29th, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) submitted a comment to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in support of reducing reimbursement requirements for telehealth services. CMS accepted public comments for its new Interim Final Rule published on April 6, 2020, 85 FR 19230, which changes the Medicare payment regulations to allow for more flexible […]
Anthem will make $2.5 billion in financial assistance available to customers and providers as they weather the coronavirus pandemic, including premium credits for cash-strapped members and funding to assist docs in standing up telehealth programs. Anthem will make premium credits of between 10% and 15% available to select individual market plans and fully insured commercial plans. Members enrolled […]
What’s the news: In a global pandemic that has demanded an all-hands-on-deck response, the AMA’s outstanding advocacy efforts have led to billions in emergency funding to help physician practices stay viable, secured broad telehealth expansion and telehealth payment parity, and much more. Featured updates: COVID-19 Track the evolving situation with the AMA’s library of the most […]
By: Bill Dacey June 3, 2020 For several years, we’ve seen Medicare and the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) manual slowly approach the age of telehealth. Despite a lot of discussion and many headlines during each of the past few years, the codes and coverage embracing the modern age of medicine have lagged […]
The Federal Trade Commission sent a letter May 29 to CMS in support of broad access to telehealth for beneficiaries permanently. During the pandemic, CMS updated its policies to allow all beneficiaries access to covered audio and video calls for telehealth purposes, expanded services covered for telehealth and increased the reimbursement rate for virtual visits. The changes […]