Telemedicine
Telehealth and COVID-19: Industry Experts Answer Key Questions
As the COVID-19 outbreak keeps spreading globally, health system leaders, clinicians on the front lines and others have emphasized the use of telehealth during a time when in-person care increases the risk that others—including those who are delivering care—could get the virus. Indeed, there has been no shortage of reports and stories in the mainstream and trade […]
LEGISLATION House Passes CARES Act, Fast Forwarding Home Health Care Innovation Beyond COVID-19
The House of Representatives passed a $2 trillion stimulus package Friday, officially clearing one of the last major hurdles for the emergency bill set to aid both American companies and individuals during the COVID-19 crisis. The record-breaking stimulus package also includes several provisions aimed at home health providers. Once signed into law, it will likely change how […]
The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) – 2020 Medicare Learning Network Telehealth Services Booklet
MLN Booklet TELEHEALTH SERVICES ICN MLN901705 March 2020 Target Audience: Medicare Fee-For-Service Providers The Hyperlink Table, at the end of this document, provides the complete URL for each hyperlink. TABLE OF CONTENTS Originating Sites………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Distant Site Practitioners……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Telehealth Services……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Telehealth Services Billing and Payment………………………………………………………………………………. 7 Telehealth Originating Sites Billing and Payment………………………………………………………………….. 8 […]
Telehealth in Light of COVID-19: Overcoming Regulatory Roadblocks to Allow Widespread Adoption
Telehealth (or telemedicine, virtual care, or any of several other ways to refer to nontraditional delivery of healthcare services through use of digital tools rather than in person interaction) has been a developing area for several years as healthcare providers, payers and others within the healthcare ecosystem try to devise ways to improve access and […]
Families First Coronavirus Response Act: From a Benefits Perspective
On March 18, 2020, the Senate passed and the President signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Families First Act” or the “Act) which was first drafted and passed by the House earlier in the week. As noted in our Law and the Workplace summary of the Act, the new Act contains many […]
Tipping Point: Telemedicine leaders look to fill urgent need for remote care
ATLANTA — The push for telemedicine across Georgia has been slow, but with health officials cautioning patients to avoid hospitals amid the COVID-19 outbreak, proponents say it’s needed more than ever. The state’s top health officials have urged the elderly and chronic disease patients to stay out of hospitals for risk of infection and have […]
Virtual doctor visits won’t stop coronavirus, but they’ll help the walking worried survive it
How will we get through the coronavirus outbreak? One important pathway goes through your smartphone and computer. Telemedicine, which allows doctors to consult with patients remotely, has emerged as a vital way to cope with the growing surge in demand for medical services — and to keep health workers safer. Providers are using virtual visits […]
Telehealth Access Expanded Due to Coronavirus
In March of 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a series of measures to expand Americans’ access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. The three steps HHS has taken to expand telehealth access include: Expansion of Medicare telehealth access and coverage that ensure patients can receive services from their […]
Home healthcare looks to step in to care for COVID-19 patients
The country’s home healthcare providers are preparing to see a rise in demand for their services as more elderly patients and those with underlying health conditions stay home to lessen their risk of exposure to COVID-19. But they see challenges in making sure providers remain healthy—both physically and financially—especially as they compete against hospitals for […]
Furnishing and Billing E-Visits: Addressing Your Questions
Recent waivers by CMS that allow for limited digital communication with patients have triggered a wave of questions. Here are our answers to the ones we hear most often. APTA is receiving many questions about the recent regulatory waivers announced by CMS related to digital communication between providers and patients, particularly regarding e-visits and the […]
The webcam will see you now: Doctors urge patients to replace in-person visits with apps
If you’re sick, you should see a doctor. But not in person, if you can avoid it. Instead, visit the doctor through an app. During the coronavirus outbreak, using your smartphone could be a matter of life and death. We could all take a lesson from Naomi Azhar, 49, who recently underwent breast cancer surgery and had […]
Telehealth During COVID-19 National Emergency
On March 17, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced an unprecedented expansion of telehealth services, [1] widening provider access to its 62 million Medicare beneficiaries. It also strongly encouraged state Medicaid programs and commercial payors to do the same. Such action prioritizes the need of immediate and on-going care for vulnerable populations during […]
Senate GOP wants to suspend Medicare sequester, expand telehealth
Senate Republicans’ COVID-19 economic stimulus bill would suspend the Medicare sequester until the end of 2020, increase inpatient hospital add-on payments for treating COVID-19 patients, reduce restrictions on telehealth and boost funding to community health centers. Negotiations on the legislation are ongoing, and Republicans need Democratic support to pass the legislation. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi […]
COVID-19 and Telehealth: Technology Can Help Us Triage a Nation in Crisis
In three short months since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), life as we’ve known it has been turned upside down. Stocks are tanking. Stores are cleared out of essentials, such as milk, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Travel is grounded. Schools and public events are closing. Employers are sending workers home. With a fatality […]