More than 400 advocacy groups are calling for Congress to act quickly to permanently expand flexibilities for telehealth that could go away after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency expected to run through 2021. The 430 groups sent a letter to congressional leadership on Monday underscoring the urgency for action now amid concerns from providers […]
More than 400 healthcare and technology organizations are calling on Capitol Hill to eliminate arbitrary restrictions while helping FQHCs and critical access hospitals offer wider access to virtual care. By Mike Miliard July 27, 202109:55 AM Leading healthcare industry stakeholders on Monday implored top leaders in the House and Senate to help ensure, among other imperatives, […]
Two proposed rules from CMS target better home health and access to health insurance exchanges, while proposed telehealth bills aim to improve rural health access and diabetes prevention. By Emily Sokol, MPH June 30, 2021 – CMS issued two proposed bills that would expand home healthcare and access to health insurance exchanges. Meanwhile, Congress continues to push for […]
Download PDF On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that announces and solicits public comments on proposed policy changes for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and other Medicare Part B issues, on or after January 1, 2022. The calendar year (CY) 2022 PFS […]
The Federal Communications Commission has posted new guidelines for its Connected Care Pilot Program and announced 36 telehealth projects that have qualified for funding. By Eric Wicklund June 18, 2021 – Some 36 telehealth programs across the country will get federal funding through the Federal Communications Commission’s Connected Care Pilot Program. The FCC approved new guidelines for the $100 […]
After a year of change, how will homecare adapt online? by Hannah Wolfson Tuesday, June 1st, 2021 In the earliest days of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic—in a news story published on March 16, 2020, to be exact—we reported that homecare companies were facing a new problem: denials of service. Patients and customers were increasingly refusing […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Quality Payment Program (QPP) proposed rule on July 13. This rule includes updates to payment rates for physicians and other health care professionals, expands the use of telehealth, clarifies evaluation and management (E/M) policies, proposes policies for the 2022 […]
Public and private providers are keen on expanding their home health programs after seeing how well it worked during the pandemic. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a proposed home health rule aimed at accelerating the shift to value by expanding the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model nationwide. The CY2022 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule provides payment […]
The proposed 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, released on July 13 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), includes expanded reimbursement for behavioral health services delivered by telehealth, including reimbursing providers for audio-only telephone calls. The proposed expansion would allow Medicare beneficiaries with mental health or substance abuse disorders to receive diagnosis, evaluation and […]
Provider groups are not happy with the payment adjustment included — a 3.75% reduction to the conversion factor due to budget neutrality requirements — and will likely seek congressional intervention. CMS is proposing to extend Medicare coverage of certain telehealth services granted for the COVID-19 public health emergency to the end of 2023 to help gather data […]
The proposal includes expanding Medicare coverage for telehealth services that address mental health and substance abuse issues and extending most COVID-19 freedoms until the end of 2023, as well as some coverage for FQHCs and RHCs. By Eric Wicklund July 14, 2021 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed 2022 Physician Fee Schedule offers some good news for […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a new category of digital health services—Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM)—to complement the existing suite of Remote Physiological Monitoring (RPM) codes covered under Medicare. The new codes, part of the proposed 2022 Physician Fee Schedule, are intended to expand the scope and reach of digital health technologies […]
On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its annual proposed changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Among the 1,747 pages of proposals, one notable standout is the announcement that CMS is considering permanently keeping the temporary additions to the list of approved telehealth services that was expanded during the COVID-19 public health […]
In the 1,747-page rule, which will be finalized later this year, CMS proposes expanding access to telehealth for behavioral healthcare, including for the first time allowing Medicare to pay for mental health virtual visits when they are provided by rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers and letting providers offer audio-only telehealth visits for […]
The rapid growth and large-scale adoption of telehealth services over the past 18 months has allowed physicians to deliver a broad range of badly needed services to patients nationwide in an innovative, cost-effective manner. Now it’s time to cement that success by making permanent the temporary easing of restrictions that brought the full potential of […]