WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the bipartisan Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021 to remove barriers to telemental health services for Medicare beneficiaries. “Over the pandemic, we’ve seen an increased need for telehealth services whether it’s for substance use disorders, physical ailments or […]
WASHINGTON – Members of the Government Accountability Office testified before Congress last week saying, while Medicare beneficiaries and providers have benefitted from program waivers and other flexibilities, their continued use beyond the pandemic increases risks and raise considerations. Among those risks and considerations: Increased spending: Telehealth waivers can increase spending in both Medicare and Medicaid, if telehealth […]
The pandemic has proven telehealth is a critical part of effective, efficient and equitable health care, and the AMA is encouraging Congress to act now so patients don’t lose the option of connecting with their physicians through this convenient, accessible mode of care. In written testimony submitted to the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on […]
The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee held a hearing on April 28 to discuss the benefits that telehealth has provided during the COVID-19 pandemic and how to maintain these advancements in care in the future. During the hearing, “Charting the Path Forward for Telehealth,” subcommittee members and witnesses primarily focused their comments on how telehealth has […]
Long-term care stakeholders are looking forward to telehealth policies remaining a “very, very hot topic” in Congress during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and beyond. Service providers say they are optimistic lawmakers will act, but want to make sure they are properly reimbursed in the end. “We achieved incredible advances in telehealth with the PHE,” […]
As of late March 2021, 475 million people worldwide have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Although a return to normalcy is drawing closer, it is unclear how state and federal governments will regulate and reimburse for telehealth services when temporary telehealth policies expire at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). This alert summarizes […]
Lawmakers have resubmitted the Expanded Telehealth Access Act, which would permanently extend Medicare coverage to telehealth services provided by physical and occupational therapists, audiologists and speech and language pathologists. By Eric Wicklund March 26, 2021 – A group of lawmakers has resubmitted a bill seeking to permanently expand Medicare coverage to telehealth services provided by physical and occupational therapists, […]
On March 15, 2021, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its Medicare Payment Policy report to Congress updating payment recommendations for providers paid under Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service payment systems in nine sectors. MedPAC unanimously recommended a two-percent increase in the 2021 Medicare base payment rates for acute care hospitals and long-term hospitals and a […]
A new bipartisan House bill would ensure beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans can get access to audio-only telehealth services, a major ask from insurers. The bill, introduced Tuesday, aims to build on flexibilities given to providers by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reimburse for telehealth services in light of the […]
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth was more of a stretch goal than a reality for most providers despite the seeming prevalence of video conferencing. Traditionally, although technology barriers were cited as a limiting factor, the gradual widespread adoption of high-speed internet and smartphones overcame that obstacle for most patients, but some of those least […]
Lawmakers and public policy experts are calling on Congress to expand home- and community-based services (HCBS) and telehealth as the U.S. emerges from the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said HCBS should be a mandatory benefit under Medicaid and should be […]
If signed into law, the APTA-backed bill would achieve a major association goal. Contact Congress now to voice your support.NewsDate: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Informed by lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced APTA-backed legislation that would make payment for services delivered via telehealth […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) formally introduced bipartisan legislation today to close the digital divide in health care and address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes. The Tech to Save Moms Act will […]