There may never be a better time for your medical practice to start developing its telemedicine portfolio. Recently, the federal government has made it easier for healthcare providers to provide and bill for telemedicine services. While some of these changes are temporary, applying only while the COVID-19 public health emergency persists, other changes are permanent. […]
On October 29, 2020, CMS issued the Home Health Prospective Payment System final rule [CMS-1730-F, CMS-1744-IFC, and CMS-5531-IFC], which permanently authorizes use of telecommunications technology as part of patient care under the Medicare home health benefit.[1] The final rule is another regulatory step toward CMS recognizing the critical role of virtual care in the home […]
With forethought and the right technology on board, remote patient monitoring can be a good complement to telehealth, allowing physicians to receive data about their patients’ in real time. As the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown kept people at home to avoid getting sick, especially those with chronic health conditions, experts recommended remote patient monitoring (RPM) […]
CMS released or proposed five rules since Oct. 28 concerning new payment reforms, price transparency regulations and coverage of a COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s a breakdown of the five rules and proposals, beginning with the most recent: 1. CMS released a final rule Nov. 2 that updates payment rates for dialysis services. It takes effect Jan. 1. The […]
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Medicare 1135 waiver immediately expanded the use of telehealth and bypassed HIPAA requirements, allowing essentially any video chat application to be used for remote patient visits. Within days, free video chat apps of all sorts became widely used by skilled nursing facilities and practically all other healthcare provider […]
The 2020 Home Health Final Rule has a “significant change” that home healthcare agencies “should be paying close attention,” according to Aaron Tripp, vice president for reimbursements and financing policy at LeadingAge. During a LeadingAge Coronavirus Update call this week, Tripp noted that although the payment part of the Request for Anticipate Payment will go away next […]
Supporters of digital Diabetes Prevention Programs say the PREDICTS trial proves that telehealth and mHealth tools can improve clinical outcomes for people at risk of developing the chronic disease. By Eric Wicklund November 04, 2020 – A year-long study conducted by the University of Nebraska and Wake Forest University has found that a telehealth platform can help reduce […]
That is a $390M increase in Medicare home health reimbursement, according to a new final rule that also expands coverage of telecommunications tech and keeps the PDGM’s behavioral adjustment. By Jacqueline LaPointe November 04, 2020 – CMS has finalized a 1.9 percent, or $390 million, increase in Medicare home health reimbursement in 2021. The boost in reimbursement is […]
CMS since March has expanded the number of services Medicare will cover when provided via telehealth to help support access to healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the 146 additional services, and their respective codes, that CMS will cover when provided via telehealth through the duration of the public health emergency: 1. 77427: radiation management 2. 90853: group […]
Federal health IT officials outlined their top goals and priorities for the next five years with a big focus on pushing the industry to make more patients’ health data accessible through smartphone apps. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published Friday the final 2020-2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan (PDF). The plan is designed to align goals and […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Monday touted several tools designed to help states rebalance their long-term care ecosystem toward home- and community-based services. The development is the latest in a series of CMS efforts aimed at strengthening home- and community-based services amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the ultimate goal of […]
In fiscal year 2021, CMS will penalize 2,545 hospitals for having too many Medicare patients readmitted within 30 days, according to federal data cited by Kaiser Health News. This is the ninth year of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program. To determine penalties for fiscal 2021, CMS examined hospitals’ 30-day readmission rates for patients who had originally […]
November 02, 2020 – A bill introduced last week in the Senate aims to establish Medicare and Medicaid coverage for telehealth programs that monitor the health of expectant mothers. The Connected Maternal Online Mothering Services (MOM) Act (S.4859) would establish coverage for remote patient monitoring programs for pregnant women that track blood pressure, blood glucose and pulse rates […]
CMS released the 2021 home health final rule on Thursday, October 29, 2020. There were minimal changes compared to the home health proposed rule that was released in July 2020. Probably the best news in the rule was the 1.9% aggregate increase (or $390 million) in reimbursement that agencies will realize in 2021. Although the […]
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 and […]