Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
FQHCs Must Get Creative with Building and Sustaining Remote Patient Monitoring Programs
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are an important safety net for individuals who often do not have easy access to primary and preventive care. With a mission to ensure the delivery of high-quality, comprehensive health care services to these underserved communities, many FQHCs are now choosing to leverage technology – like remote patient monitoring (RPM) […]
AHA-Supported Bill Would Expand Access to Telehealth Services
AHA on Oct. 10 voiced support for the CONNECT for Health Act (S. 2016/H.R. 4189), legislation that would increase patient access to telehealth services while removing barriers to adoption. The bill would permanently remove geographic restrictions that limit where patients can access telehealth, add homes and other clinically appropriate originating sites, and allow rural health […]
Key Remote Patient Monitoring Takeaways from the 2024 PFS Proposed Rule
Aug 17, 2023 Daniel Tashnek, JD In the proposed role, CMS proposed to clarify that it is permissible to bill for RPM or remote therapeutic monitoring services, but not both at the same time. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) recently published its 2024 physician fee schedule (PFS) proposed rule. One subject receiving a fair […]
42 CFR § 411.15 – Particular Services Excluded from Coverage.
§ 411.15 Particular services excluded from coverage. Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 53345, Aug. 7, 2023. The following services are excluded from coverage: (a) Routine physical checkups such as: (1) Examinations performed for a purpose other than treatment or diagnosis of a specific illness, symptoms, complaint, or injury, except for screening mammography, colorectal cancer screening […]
Executive Summary: Tracking Telehealth Changes State-by-State in Response to COVID-19
2023: New Federal Developments There were no new federal developments in the last month. 2023: New State-Level Developments State Activity Illinois Illinois passed S.B. 1913, which requires Medicaid FFS and Medicaid managed care plans to provide coverage of mental health services, substance use disorder treatment, and ‘behavioral telehealth services’. Requires Medicaid FFS and Medicaid managed care plans […]
CMS Annual Physician Fee Schedule Updates: Effects on Telehealth Services
At a Glance The annual Medicare physician payment rule is upon us, proposed July 13, 2023, for calendar year (CY) 2024 and open for public comment through September 11. Each year, the couple-of-thousand-page rule makes modifications to how Medicare pays physician and nonphysician providers for their services, including for telehealth services. In recent years, the physician […]
Remote Monitoring: CMS Clarifies Guidance, Proposes Rural Provider Payment, Requests Information on Digital Therapeutics
Over the past several years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has expanded payment for care management and remote monitoring services in an effort to recognize and pay for non-face-to-face services that improve care coordination for Medicare beneficiaries. In connection with the calendar year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule, CMS […]
Legislation Aims to Support Telehealth Access in Rural Areas
May 24, 2023 – Earlier this month, a group of six United States House representatives introduced the Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act, which intends to maintain regional telehealth access and Medicare coverage flexibilities enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The expansion of telehealth that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic helped boost access to care, including in rural areas. […]
CCHP: Telehealth Flexibilities Continued in the Spring of 2023
May 22, 2023 – A new report from the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) found that various changes in telehealth policies related to Medicaid reimbursement, private-payer laws, and professional requirements occurred at the state level in 2023. Encompassing the period of January to March 2023, this spring report followed the standard process of organizing information under three headings: […]
End of a pandemic era: What now for Federally Qualified Health Centers?
May 2, 2023 – The COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant increase in the use of telehealth services across the United States, a shift driven in part by the Public Health Emergency (PHE), allowing health care providers to offer telehealth services to a broader range of patients. On Jan. 30, 2023, the Biden administration announced […]
What FQHCs Need to Know About Telehealth After the PHE
“This article was originally published by Foley & Lardner LLP [What FQHCs Need to Know About Telehealth After the PHE | Foley & Lardner LLP] on [April 10, 2023], and is reprinted with permission.” On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced its intent to end the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023. For Federally Qualified […]
Key Healthcare Provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
Friday, January 6, 2023 Introduction On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (the “Act”). The Act provides for nearly $1.7 trillion in funding across a range of domestic initiatives, including certain appropriations to healthcare and related programs. In addition to funding, the Act modifies certain telehealth provisions, expands and extends components […]