Video conferences have long outlived their charm, but one pandemic staple remains popular: the virtual doctor’s visit. Now politicians around the country are racing against deadlines to make sure their constituents aren’t forced back to in-person medicine if they don’t want it. For months, Jim Des Marais, who has ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, has been […]
A group of Senators has re-introduced a bill that would establish Medicare coverage for telehealth services in CMS-sanctioned Diabetes Prevention Programs. By Eric Wicklund June 24, 2021 – A group of Senators has re-introduced a bill that would establish Medicare coverage for care providers who use telehealth in diabetes prevention programs. The Promoting Responsible and Effective Virtual Experiences through […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the bipartisan Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021 to remove barriers to telemental health services for Medicare beneficiaries. “Over the pandemic, we’ve seen an increased need for telehealth services whether it’s for substance use disorders, physical ailments or […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) formally introduced bipartisan legislation today to close the digital divide in health care and address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes. The Tech to Save Moms Act will […]
MedPAC survey found that 90% of Medicare beneficiaries were satisfied with telehealth WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 16, 2021 – The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) appreciates that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), in their March 2021 report to Congress on Medicare payment policy, recognized the importance of telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and the need for policy […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the United States in early 2020, telemedicine took a giant leap forward in popularity. Because of the pandemic and under the direction of federal, state, and local government agencies, necessary relaxation of advance practice provider (APP) supervision and insurance rules redefined access to care through telemedicine, giving providers and healthcare […]
Telehealth is a way to receive healthcare services remotely through various communication technologies. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) defines telehealth as “the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient’s clinical health status.”1How and why you use telehealth will depend on your health needs and goals, […]
This week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduced the Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act to the U.S. House of Representatives. Telehealth has expanded both at the individual provider and hospital system levels through support from federal and state emergency measures aimed at increasing access during the pandemic. Without legislative intervention many of these measures will disappear […]
Digital technologies have transformed almost every aspect of the health care and life sciences industry—from electronic health records and telemedicine, to diagnostics and therapeutics augmented by artificial intelligence, and to remote clinical trials. The year 2020 witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzing unprecedented levels of digital health innovation and adoption. The digital health industry is entering […]
In a letter to Congressional leaders, several telehealth groups have asked that emergency measures enacted during the coronavirus pandemic be kept in place through 2021 as Congress continues to work on long-term coverage. By Eric Wicklund December 15, 2020 – Telehealth advocates are lobbying Congress to get something done before the end of the year to ensure continued […]
There’s lots of work to do expanding access for underserved patients, said experts at the American Telemedicine Association’s EDGE policy conference. By Kat Jercich January 12, 2021 03:33 PM The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a flurry of changes to regulations around telehealth and virtual care – the vast majority of which expire once the public health […]
In lieu of permanent policy change, industry groups urged legislators to extend temporary telehealth flexibilities through the end of 2021. By Kat Jercich December 14, 2020 10:21 AM The American Telemedicine Association, the Connected Health Initiative and other industry groups issued a letter to Congress on Friday urging legislators to extend temporary telehealth flexibilities until the end […]
The use of telemedicine has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In part because specific regulatory barriers were lowered, but also because an infrastructure was already in place to help manage workflow and facilitate payment. The story of how telehealth has flourished in the public health emergency and insights about where digital health may go next […]
A new National Governors Association report explores how different states are addressing key questions around licensure, reimbursement, incentives, privacy and more. By Kat Jercich December 01, 202003:48 PM The National Governors Association released a white paper this week examining state policies around telehealth and outlining key considerations for governors to assess the potential implications of said policies […]
The American Telemedicine Association said the newly released final rules move the healthcare industry closer to a value-based care model. By Kat JercichNovember 25, 202009:58 AM The American Telemedicine Association this week issued a statement in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ final rules regarding the Physician Self-Referral Law (also known […]