Trump’s announcement comes as his administration has rolled out multiple health care announcements in recent weeks. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at boosting struggling health care providers in rural areas, as he also proposed a permanent extension of some telehealth policies that helped fuel virtual care’s explosive growth amid coronavirus lockdowns. “One of […]
The answer largely depends on whether Medicare and private health insurers will adequately cover virtual doctor visits once coronavirus outbreaks subside. Telemedicine is having its moment. Over the last few months, millions of people have relied on video or telephone calls to talk to their doctors. But as the pandemic moves across the United States, […]
On August 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a number of clarifications and proposals on remote patient monitoring (RPM) services reimbursed under the Medicare program. The changes, part of the advance copy of CMS’ proposed 2021 Physician Fee Schedule, are intended to clarify CMS’ position on how it reads and interprets […]
There’s nothing more frustrating than rendering a service and not being paid. Nuanced coding rules are difficult to understand, and physicians aren’t taught this information in medical school. Still, health care is a business. As business owners, physicians need to know how they’re paid, including what codes to use, what modifiers to append and what […]
On August 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the advance copy of its proposed 2021 Physician Fee Schedule rule, which contains new telehealth services covered under Medicare. Compared to last year, where CMS made only minor additions to telehealth services, the changes proposed for 2021 are bold and designed to more deliberately expand […]
On August, 3 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that announces and solicits public comments on proposed policy changes for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and other Medicare Part B issues, on or after January 1, 2021. The calendar year (CY) 2021 PFS proposed rule is one […]
On August 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule, which proposes to revise certain MDPP policies during the remainder of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and any future applicable 1135 waiver event. We are proposing that we would determine […]
On Monday, August 3, President Trump signed executive orders with the goal of improving healthcare in rural America, for seniors, and for all Americans, by expanding telehealth, modernizing regulations, and reforming payments. Specifically, the executive orders call on HHS to: Propose a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rule to extend parts of Medicare’s […]
Alongside President Trump’s call for more rural telehealth coverage, CMS’ proposed 2021 Physician Fee Schedule could keep the momentum going for connected health. But is it enough? August 06, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has come out with its long-anticipated plans to expand telehealth coverage beyond the coronavirus pandemic. An advance copy of the […]
Amy Coyne noticed her 9-year-old son Max wasn’t feeling well and booked a doctor’s visit a week after his Georgetown school closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The exam not only produced a diabetes diagnosis, but Max spent two nights in the intensive care unit of UK Hospital. A diabetes educator said Max needed a […]
Senator Lamar Alexander has added another telehealth bill to the rapidly growing list of efforts to expand connected health coverage in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Tennessee Republican and chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions this week introduced the Telehealth Modernization Act (S. 4375), which aims to make permanent […]
Although it is a new disease, COVID-19 has a way of peeling back layers and bringing other medical issues to the surface. For example, research has shown that people with high blood pressure are more likely to become seriously ill. A study published in the April 22 issue of JAMA of 5,700 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in […]
Provider reimbursement is now available to physicians who tell their patients to self-isolate at the time of COVID-19 testing, according to CMS. An announcement released late last week in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said CMS will leverage existing evaluation and management (E/M) payment codes to reimburse eligible providers for the coronavirus […]
EXPANDING TELEHEALTH SERVICES: President Donald J. Trump is unleashing America’s innovation to provide millions of citizens with healthcare services during a global pandemic. Today, President Trump is signing a new Executive Order to further expand access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in rural communities. Through this order, the President is also taking […]