On March 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a series of temporary waivers and an Interim Final Rule with Comment in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These actions stem from the January 27, 2020, public health emergency (PHE) declaration by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and a series of three bills […]
In the United States, people with, and especially without, insurance are used to heading to the emergency room if they need care quickly. Even before the coronavirus crisis, nearly half of all U.S. medical care came from emergency rooms. A natural reaction to feeling feverish in the era of COVID-19, therefore, is to rush to the […]
On March 27th, Congress passed and the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act). On both the federal and state levels we have seen efforts to support social distancing in the health care sector by increasing the use of telehealth. On the federal side, we have seen the continued relaxation of […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) took “unprecedented” action to reduce red tape for home health care agencies and other Medicare providers on Monday. Although the changes are, in theory, temporary, many home health stakeholders welcomed the newfound flexibility aimed at the COVID-19 pandemic. Some, however, were left scratching their heads, confused […]
On Friday, President Donald Trump’s signature finalized a record-breaking $2 trillion stimulus package, officially titled the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The act’s aim: to provide much needed financial relief to both individuals and businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. While the CARES Act does a number of things, it specifically sets aside […]
On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) into law. The CARES Act contains several provisions affecting healthcare benefits and the expansion of telehealth services. Notably, the new law provides temporary relief for telehealth and High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP), allowing coverage for telehealth services without […]
CMS on March 30 issued various regulatory changes to further support hospitals’, physicians’ and other healthcare organizations’ capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, including expanding Medicare coverage of telehealth visits. On March 17, the Trump administration announced CMS will temporarily pay clinicians to provide telehealth services for beneficiaries during the pandemic. CMS is now expanding Medicare coverage of 85 additional services provided […]
In its latest moves to expand telehealth adoption during the Coronavirus pandemic, CMS has added 85 telehealth services to the list of services covered by Medicare and emphasized that payment will be at the same rate as in-service care. By Eric Wicklund April 01, 2020 – CMS is adding more than 80 new telehealth services to the list […]
Mar 30, 2020 At President Trump’s direction, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is taking historic and unprecedented steps to equip the American healthcare system with maximum flexibility to respond to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. CMS is issuing a sweeping array of new rules and waivers of federal requirements to ensure that […]
By Alex Spanko | March 31, 2020 As part of a sweeping set of waivers announced late Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded its efforts to cut restrictions on telehealth — essentially removing any last roadblock that providers would face to offering virtual interventions at nursing homes. By allowing providers to perform initial and discharge […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is temporarily removing regulatory requirements to give hospitals a greater ability to treat an influx of patients with COVID-19 while they also treat those needing other care. The changes apply immediately for the duration of the emergency declaration. HOSPITALS WITHOUT WALLS Under the new hospitals without walls strategy, […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid will temporarily expand telehealth options, including for new patients and audio-only appointments. In a direct response to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid on Monday revealed more temporary expansions of telehealth services for Medicare recipients. “Today, we’re announcing that we’re going to go even further […]
Is a $0 visit fee telehealth service considered significant care? Regulators have not answered this question, although millions of Americans have access to telehealth and HDHP plans. Given everything going on, it’s time for some good news. The recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has clarified that a $0-visit-fee telehealth service […]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. and many state governments have taken a number of steps to expand access to telehealth services and reduce other barriers to care. Among other things, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has eliminated a number of restrictions on the coverage of telehealth services under […]
Medicare Telehealth Services On March 6, Congress passed the Coronavirus Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 6074), which included a $500 million authorization to enhance telehealth services. The legislation gives the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary the authority to waive or modify certain telehealth Medicare requirements when the president has declared a National Emergency, or […]