The eHealth Initiative has released a list of policy recommendations designed to improve telehealth adoption and coverage during and after the coronavirus pandemic. By Eric Wicklund October 09, 2020 – The eHealth Initiative has unveiled recommendations for federal policy changes to help expand telehealth access and coverage during and beyond the coronavirus pandemic. The 22-page report comes roughly a […]
Bipartisan letter to CMS seeks to ensure coverage for the full range of essential hearing, speech, and language services Today, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) led a letter with 32 other colleagues to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma, urging her to expand Medicare telehealth coverage of valuable audiology and speech-language pathology during […]
The AMA is warning the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that rate-cutting provisions in its proposed 2021 Medicare physician payment schedule pose “a very real threat to the ability of many physicians to deliver health care services to their patients.” CMS has proposed new office-visit policies that should result in a significant reduction […]
Eligible providers will get payment of 2% of annual revenue from patient care plus an add-on payment. New COVID-19 relief funding is being released. The Trump Administration has announced $20 billion in new funding for providers fighting COVID-19, but the president has ended negotiations with Democratic leaders over a new relief package until after the […]
This week, the comment period closed for the calendar year 2021 (CY21) Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The PFS is an annual rule-making process through which CMS identifies codes and payment rates to be used to reimburse Medicare Part B physician services in the following calendar year. The […]
Home care agencies and their services have always been valuable to the patients they serve. But being able to demonstrate that value to payers requires more than just patient testimonials. As the home care industry enters into an era filled with new tailwinds, including Medicare Advantage (MA) and managed care opportunities, providers need to create […]
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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 […]
To ensure telehealth provisions lifted during the COVID-19 pandemic become permanent, U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., are focusing on broadband access and Medicare reimbursement initiatives, according to NextGov. Three details: 1. The lawmakers said that HIPAA relaxations enacted during the public health emergency, including allowing telehealth visits over platforms such as Zoom […]
Today, the Partnership to Advance Virtual Care (the “Partnership”) submitted comments in response to the CY 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule [CMS-1734-P] proposed rule. As a leading coalition representing stakeholders advancing telehealth priorities, the Partnership’s comments urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to extend and make permanent certain flexibilities issued in response to the […]
Reps. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., view telehealth services as a key tool to promote equity in health care post-pandemic Two House lawmakers active in tech policy on Monday outlined how to transition telehealth services used widely during the pandemic into permanent tools capable of reducing health care disparities in the U.S after […]
Patient satisfaction was high even before the pandemic, and anesthesiologists say 50% of visits could be virtual. Jeff Lagasse, Associate Editor Patients who saw a pain medicine specialist via telehealth saved time and money and were highly satisfied with their experience, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study being presented at the Anesthesiology 2020 annual meeting. […]
By Holly Vossel | October 4, 2020 Hospices nationwide have leveraged technological advances to improve workflows, referral communications and enhance patient care. While telehealth in particular has been vital for hospices to continue reaching vulnerable high-risk patient populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, providers must proceed with caution when it comes to technology and patient care. Prior to the pandemic, technology in […]
7 changes affecting HME paymentsby Miriam LieberFriday, October 2nd, 2020 Although home medical equipment (HME) providers are accustomed to constant change, the uncertainties of the pandemic have left them in a crisis unlike any other. The key coping mechanism—adaptability—remains the constant for the industry. Knowing that Competitive Bidding Round 2021 is looming and has not […]