A letter signed by 20 organizations calls on the agency to expand telehealth coverage for mental health and other services delivered through critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics. By Eric Wicklund September 27, 2021 – Several organizations are making an extra effort to lobby for expanded telehealth coverage for rural healthcare providers beyond […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs is soliciting bids for four remote patient monitoring projects that could greatly expand the agency’s ability to treat veterans in their own homes. By Eric Wicklund September 20, 2021 – The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to launch a massive expansion of its remote patient monitoring program to expand care and treatment […]
Researchers said telecare programs could allow homebound older adults to maintain a closer connection with healthcare providers. By Emily Olsen September 13, 2021 01:53 pm Homebound older adults who participated in a telecare program for three months had improved medication adherence and quality of life, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. TOPLINE DATA Researchers […]
There is a high probability that using telehealth to treat children with chronic conditions can improve patient outcomes and reduce health system costs, University of Texas researchers found. By Victoria Bailey September 23, 2021 – Using telehealth to deliver comprehensive care for children with chronic conditions is likely to reduce hospital and emergency department visits, improve patient outcomes, […]
The reimbursement model for remote patient monitoring needs to evolve as it may be holding providers back from investing in these programs, according to panelists at the MedCity INVEST Digital Health conference. Key issues with the structure as it stands now include the fact that there are too many gray areas that result in claims […]
WASHINGTON, September 29, 2021—The Federal Communications Commission today approved an additional 72 applications for funding commitments totaling $41,113,186 for Round 2 of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. This is the FCC’s second funding announcement of approved Round 2 applications following the nearly $42 million awarded on August 26 to health care providers in each state, territory, […]
What You Should Know: – 76% of patient-facing clinicians believe telehealth will make up a majority of patient care in the near future, according to key findings from Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) first-ever multi-country Future of Healthcare” Survey. The new report not only found healthcare clinicians and IT Decision Makers (ITDMs) optimistic about the future of telehealth but 85% of […]
The contract is aimed at procuring remote patient monitoring and telemedicine devices, to be distributed to VA facilities or to veterans. By Kat Jercich September 17, 2021 11:30 AM The Department of Veterans Affairs published a $1 billion contract opportunity this week aimed at procuring remote patient monitoring and telehealth services to meet the needs of veterans. […]
What’s the news: There are some major health care issues the massive budget-reconciliation package that Congress is working on this month must not overlook. Most important, these two policy concepts deserve to be included in the final legislation: Medicare program sustainability and postponement of impending physician payment cuts set to take effect in January. Continued access to telehealth in order […]
On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an advance copy of the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed payment rule, to be published on July 23, 2021. While the proposed rule introduces some new virtual care services (including Remote Therapeutic Monitoring), CMS rejected all requests to permanently […]
The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) is issuing an urgent call to action, imploring members to lobby lawmakers on the recently introduced Choose Home legislation. “You’re not the only ones asking Congress to do things. This is why you have to be extraordinarily loud,” NAHC President William Dombi told members Sunday evening […]
On July 23, 2021, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the CY 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (“Proposed Rule”) which outlines several proposed changes to reimbursement of Medicare telehealth services. As a result of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (“PHE”), CMS instituted several waivers and flexibilities to allow increased access to […]
A mix of telehealth and personal visits can yield better results for patients than strictly in-person visits, according to a technology leader at Dallas-based home healthcare firm AccentCare. During a webinar Tuesday for the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, the company’s chief clinic innovation officer released findings from a telehealth study the company […]
The Medical University of South Carolina and Massachusetts-based FQHC Telehealth Consortium have outlined their telehealth strategies in reports designed to help others establish scalable and sustainable programs. By Eric Wicklund August 25, 2021 – As health systems develop their own telehealth strategies to weather the COVID-19 storm, they’re putting that knowledge down on paper – virtually – to […]
A bipartisan Senate bill introduced in late July would increase Medicare beneficiaries’ access to home health after hospitalization. The Choose Home Care Act was introduced by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) and Todd Young (R-Indiana), with Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvanina), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), and James Lankford (R-Ohio) signing on […]
