Telehealth has been in some level of development in many U.S. physician practices for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust it to the forefront of patient care, often before doctors have been properly trained to do it. A webinar hosted by Massachusetts General Hospital, “Crossing the Virtual Chasm: Rethinking Curriculum, Competency, and Culture in […]
COVID-19 provided a much-needed catalyst for widespread integration of telemedicine. Now it’s time to use it against our biggest long-term health challenges. Telemedicine is not a new idea; in fact, its roots can be traced back to the 1920s, when radio transmissions were used to send medical advice to ships at sea. Recent years have […]
For years, telemedicine has been touted as a way to address mental health provider shortages in Greater Minnesota or as an option that could help stave off the looming mass retirement of the state’s aging psychologist workforce. But, despite the promise offered by technology, most mental health providers in Minnesota avoided making the move to […]
From managing cybersecurity imperatives with at-home patients as a new X factor, to surfing the data tsunami of remote patient monitoring, experts from NIST, FCC, Mount Sinai, Yale, Leapfrog and others offer insights on demand. By Mike Miliard September 28, 2020 11:53 AM Telehealth has been around for a long time, but only recently has it […]
Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) constitutes a major pillar of secondary prevention measures in cardiac patients, in particular for those with coronary artery disease and heart failure, but also for patients with other cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), such as valvular heart disease, heart transplantation, congenital heart disease, or patients with an extensive cardiovascular risk profile.1 Hospital- or centre-based, multidisciplinary […]
By implementing certain home healthcare and remote patient monitoring strategies, payers can boost their value-based care delivery. By Kelsey Waddill September 25, 2020 – Home healthcare and remote monitoring are increasingly critical to providing value-based care, improving quality while keeping costs low. Experts have discovered that, in some cases, remote patient monitoring can provide superior quality of data […]
Over 94% of Medicare Advantage plans will offer additional telehealth benefits, up from about 58% of plans offering telehealth benefits in 2020. Susan Morse, Managing Editor More Medicare Advantage plans in 2021 will offer telehealth benefits. Average 2021 premiums for Medicare Advantage plans are expected to decline 34.2% from 2017 while plan choice, benefits, and enrollment […]
September 26, 2020John Danaher The coronavirus pandemic has shed light on major imbalances within the healthcare system, specifically, the supply and demand of allied health professionals, and the urgent need to invest in community-based care that prioritizes vulnerable populations. The coronavirus pandemic has shed light on major imbalances within the healthcare system, specifically, the supply […]
Among Medicare Advantage plans, 53 will be covering hospice and palliative care in 2021 through the value-based insurance design (VBID) model, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare Advantage is seeing record-high levels of participation for 2021 among beneficiaries, reaching about 42% for 2021, CMS reported. Starting in 2021, payers […]
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) issued a policy comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), advocating for telehealth-friendly changes to Medicare’s telehealth coverage and reimbursement rules. The ATA’s letter also made recommendations on CMS’ proposed interpretations on remote patient monitoring (RPM) requirements. The letter was submitted in response to CMS’ 2021 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. The ATA letter notes: […]
Jackie Drees – Friday, September 25th, 2020 The American Heart Association and American Cancer Society and 15 other patient organizations on Sept. 24 released a set of principles for legislators to consider for telehealth implementations. The principles are meant to guide regulations for telehealth during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Here are the group’s six recommendations: 1. […]
A bill filed this week would expand the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program to include telehealth services, thus improving access to care for millions of people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. By Eric Wicklund September 25, 2020 – A group of Senators has introduced a bill that would expand access to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program through […]
By Robert Holly | September 24, 2020 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday released $165 million in supplemental funding for Money Follows the Person (MFP) programs, which encourage transitions from long-term care facilities to home- and community-based settings. In the grand scheme of government health care spending, $165 million is only a drop in the […]
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) issued a policy comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), advocating for telehealth-friendly changes to Medicare’s telehealth coverage and reimbursement rules. The ATA’s letter also made recommendations on CMS’ proposed interpretations on remote patient monitoring (RPM) requirements. The letter was submitted in response to CMS’ 2021 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. The ATA letter notes: […]
By Jackie Drees If telehealth is going to provide value to the healthcare system, it must address issues such as health equity and disparities in healthcare while delivering safe and high-quality care, according to Shantanu Agrawal, MD, and Tejal Gandhi, MD. For a Sept. 23 viewpoint article published in Health Affairs, Dr. Agrawal, president and CEO […]
