The growing and continuing physician interest in using digital health tools is being supported by a steadily developing regulatory framework and an infrastructure that creates a pathway to payment while defining how devices and software can help treat, manage and prevent disease. An AMA physician survey (PDF), conducted every three years, finds adoption of digital health tools […]
CMS is moving ahead with major changes to evaluation and management (E/M) services, telehealth, coverage of dental services, and more in the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule. The rule, released November 1, also includes updates to vaccine payments and quality and reporting programs. E/M CMS finalized its proposals to bring E/M coding and guidelines […]
CMS is moving ahead with major changes to evaluation and management (E/M) services, telehealth, coverage of dental services, and more in the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule. The rule, released November 1, also includes updates to vaccine payments and quality and reporting programs. E/M CMS finalized its proposals to bring E/M coding and guidelines […]
On November 1, 2022, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2023 final rule for services reimbursed under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) (the Final Rule). The Final Rule establishes changes to Medicare Part B professional payment policies and rates for the upcoming year. The Final Rule […]
What’s at stake Before the pandemic hit in March 2020, the Medicare program only paid for telehealth services in very limited circumstances: COVID-19 sparked policy change and led to dramatic increases in adoption of telehealth by patients and physicians. Early in the pandemic, with strong support from the AMA, such restrictions on coverage for telehealth services were […]
With physician burnout at all all-time high, physicians are searching for ways to provide high-quality patient care while easing some of the burdens prevalent in medicine today. “Never before has there been a greater need to be able to leverage digital solutions and technologies to help really meet the need of helping to ensure that the […]
Physician payment cuts are coming, significant changes to E/M services are finalized, and key reporting revisions are hitting telehealth and audio-only services, according to the final 2023 Medicare physician fee schedule. Proposed payment cuts that drew vocal criticism from physician advocacy groups will move forward as planned, as CMS announced a 4.5% reduction to the 2023 Medicare Part B […]
The routine physician’s office visit is experiencing disruption at the hands of virtual care technology. According to the newly released J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study, a growing majority of consumers now say they prefer telehealth over in-person visits for a wide range of routine care, including prescription refills, reviews of medication options and […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the healthcare services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients with quick […]
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a drastic increase in telehealth utilization across the country, which meaningfully changed the way providers deliver care and illuminated novel state telehealth policy design challenges. As the U.S. shifts into a new care paradigm where telehealth is more commonly used to deliver care, states are actively reviewing and […]
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for a bipartisan bill that extends Medicare telehealth payment and regulatory flexibilities through the end of 2024. The House’s 416–12 vote last week is a manifestation of the massive support among lawmakers, patients and physicians to build on the gains of telehealth seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure it continues […]
Healthcare leaders are calling on Congress to extend a waiver that expanded flexibilities for hospital-at-home programs, saying continued reimbursement is critical to scale up these programs. Temporary waivers rolled out by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the public health emergency have allowed Medicare enrollees to receive acute hospital-level care from their own […]
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Patients with COVID-19 who tracked their experience and symptoms from the virus remotely had positive outcomes, a study published Thursday indicates. The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open by the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network, found that those who activated remote […]
COVID-19 has led to dramatic increases in adoption of telehealth by both physicians and patients. Policymakers should seize the opportunity to make permanent policy that supports many of these advancements beyond the pandemic. Why telehealth is important In the March 15, 2022, episode of Moving Medicine, AMA Chief Experience Officer Todd Unger discusses the importance of […]
Make sure your facility is aware of all the Medicare policy changes that permit payment for expanded services. Telehealth as a healthcare delivery platform has been in existence since the late 1960s. It was first introduced through projects initiated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Nebraska Psychology Institute. The declaration of […]