CMS on March 20 released two digital toolkits on telehealth complete with resources specific to general practitioners as well as providers treating patients with end-stage renal disease. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the U.S., the Trump administration has implemented several initiatives to increase telehealth services to avoid the spread of the disease. In addition […]
As federal officials continue to urge Americans – particularly older adults – to stay in their homes to stem the spread of the coronavirus, President Donald Trump on Tuesday said telehealth options for Medicare recipients are being expanded and made easier to take advantage of. “Medicare patients can now visit any doctor by phone or video […]
The federal government is stripping away barriers to Medicare telehealth coverage as a frontline response to the coronavirus outbreak, which feeds on person-to-person contact and has proven deadliest for elderly individuals. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma announced the temporary coverage expansion in a mid-day White House news conference Tuesday held by […]
On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation declaring a national emergency concerning the novel coronavirus disease (the “Emergency Declaration”). The president framed the emergency declaration as empowering the Secretary of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) to waive “laws to enable telehealth,” which gave providers hope that the administration would remove some of the primary […]
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced an emergency expansion of telehealth coverage for Medicare beneficiaries amid the COVID-19 outbreak, removing multiple regulatory barriers to doctors providing remote care for nursing home residents. Retroactive to March 6, Medicare can pay for virtual consultations provided through telehealth platforms across the country, including those conducted in a patient’s […]
On March 6, 2020, the president signed into law H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (“Act”). This law provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. In addition, the law allows the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (“Secretary”) to […]
As the novel coronavirus outbreak continues, the federal government and commercial health insurers have taken significant steps to increase Americans’ access to treatment and testing. In the past week, the federal government and private insurers have issued a number of guidance documents expanding coverage and payment requirements in an effort to minimize the spread of […]
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a bulletin reiterating the ways that patient information may be shared under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule in an outbreak of infectious disease or other emergency situation. The bulletin serves as a reminder that […]
Monday, March 9, 2020 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released several fact sheets on COVID-19 coverage and benefits, and announced a second Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code, U0002, for billing COVID-19 diagnostic tests. Medicare will accept claims with U0001 and U0002 starting on April 1, 2020, for dates of service […]
The U.S. Centers for Health & Human Services (CMS) has issued guidelines for protecting health care workers who operate in the home and community from COVID-19, including hospice providers. The CMS materials contain guidance for screening for and treatment of the virus in addition to when patients should be transitioned to higher acuity care. The agency recommended […]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C2-21-16 Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850 Center for Clinical Standards and Quality/Quality, Safety & Oversight Group Ref: QSO-20-18-HHA DATE: March 10, 2020 TO: State Survey Agency Directors FROM: Director Quality, Safety & Oversight Group SUBJECT: Guidance for Infection Control and […]
On Thursday, the Senate approved a bill that will provide $8.3 billion in emergency funds to help mitigate the effects of COVID-19, otherwise known as the coronavirus. Apart from funding, the bill made major changes to telehealth statutes, possibly allowing home-based care providers to both rely heavier on telehealth tools and be properly reimbursed for […]
Insurance coverageIn a statement on March 6, 2020, the Board of Directors for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) announced that insurers are voluntarily covering the diagnostic testing of COVID-19 (coronavirus) when ordered by a physician. AHIP said that health insurers are taking action to ease network referral and prior authorization requirements and/or waiving patient cost-sharing. Additionally, AHIP […]
Cardiology illustrates what specialties can do to be ready As COVID-19 coronavirus encroaches into communities across the U.S., cardiology’s use of telemedicine could set a precedent for what specialties can do with the technology to both protect coronavirus-vulnerable patients and manage comorbidity that arises. “Self-quarantine and social distancing are important tools in managing disease transmission, […]