News
What’s next for telehealth under the Biden administration?
There’s lots of work to do expanding access for underserved patients, said experts at the American Telemedicine Association’s EDGE policy conference. By Kat Jercich January 12, 2021 03:33 PM The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a flurry of changes to regulations around telehealth and virtual care – the vast majority of which expire once the public health […]
Lawmakers Face Pressure to Address Licensure Barriers for Telehealth Adoption
The Alliance for Connected Care has sent an open letter to federal and state policymakers urging them to develop licensure guidelines that would allow providers to treat patients in other states via telehealth. By Eric Wicklund January 14, 2021 – The Alliance for Connected Care is putting pressure on lawmakers at both the state and federal levels to […]
Today’s Virtual Care Revolution: How Policy Has Shaped And Will Continue To Shape Telehealth
Some will say 2020 was the year that everything changed, but in reality, it will be 2021 that determines our new healthcare reality. Virtual care advanced quickly—and under duress—last year. How will we learn from the seismic shifts in care delivery we experienced thanks to COVID-19? How can we help providers and innovators embrace the […]
Staff Training, Education May be the Keys to Telehealth Sustainability
Dozens of health systems and organizations in New York are joining forces with the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center to launch a statewide telehealth training program. By Eric Wicklund January 22, 2021 – As healthcare providers look to launch or expand their telehealth networks, a key ingredient to success and sustainability is a staff that knows how to use […]
The “State” of Telehealth: New Jersey
Saturday, January 23, 2021 This article is the first post in our new “State” of Telehealth series in which we discuss innovation on a state level on the expansion of telehealth access, coverage and reimbursement. On January 14, 2021, the New Jersey Senate Committee approved a proposed bill (Bill S-2559, the “Bill”) that, if signed into law, […]
OIG audits telehealth home services, studies HHAs’ pandemic strategies
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General recently has disclosed it is conducting an audit of home health services that were provided as telehealth during COVID-19. In addition, it is studying the challenges home health agencies (HHAs) have faced in providing care during the pandemic. In recent months, the Centers for […]
Omnibus Appropriations Package – 15 Key Provisions for Healthcare Providers
Passed by Congress Dec. 21, 2020, and signed by President Donald Trump Dec. 27, 2020, the $1.4 trillion omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133), includes numerous statutory provisions that directly affect healthcare providers. The spending bill funds the federal government through the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2021, and provides a $300 […]
‘Really difficult nut to crack’: MedPAC torn over telehealth regs post-COVID-19
Dive Brief: Members of an influential congressional advisory committee on Medicare are torn on how best to regulate telehealth after the COVID-19 public health emergency, hinting at the difficulty Washington faces as it looks to impose guardrails on virtual care without restricting its use after the pandemic ends. During a Thursday virtual meeting, the Medicare […]
Medicare Extends COVID-19 Telehealth Coverage in Diabetes Prevention Programs
As part of the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule, Medicare will continue to reimburse Diabetes Prevention Program providers who use certain telehealth services – but only for the duration of the public health emergency. By Eric Wicklund December 02, 2020 – Healthcare providers who use telehealth in their Diabetes Prevention Programs will continue to be reimbursed through Medicare during […]
Congress should include telehealth in year-end funding, say ATA, HIMSS
In lieu of permanent policy change, industry groups urged legislators to extend temporary telehealth flexibilities through the end of 2021. By Kat Jercich December 14, 2020 10:21 AM The American Telemedicine Association, the Connected Health Initiative and other industry groups issued a letter to Congress on Friday urging legislators to extend temporary telehealth flexibilities until the end […]
Executive Summary: Tracking Telehealth Changes State-by-State in Response to COVID-19 – December 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the healthcare services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients with quick […]
Is Telehealth Here To Stay? American Medical Association Calls For Expansion
Key Takeaways With telehealth, pricing transparency and access to care address a largely unmet need. Consistency of care can be a challenge with telehealth. Cost savings aren’t universal across the telehealth spectrum of care. Treatment for behavioral health has excelled with the help of telehealth. A year ago, if you were feeling sick, you might […]
HHS Modifies PREP Act Declaration to Expand Telehealth
On December 3, 2020, HHS issued a Fourth Amendment to the Declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (“PREP Act”), which, in part, expands access to certain telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency (“PHE”). Most notably, this amendment preempts state professional licensure laws with respect to “Covered Countermeasures” that are provided through telehealth to […]
How CPT codes set stage for telehealth’s rise amid pandemic
The use of telemedicine has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In part because specific regulatory barriers were lowered, but also because an infrastructure was already in place to help manage workflow and facilitate payment. The story of how telehealth has flourished in the public health emergency and insights about where digital health may go next […]