A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation on October 30th designed to expand Medicare beneficiaries’ access to telehealth services. The bill is called the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies for Health Act of 2019 (hereinafter, the “CONNECT Act” or the “Act”). In order to understand what the Act seeks to accomplish, […]
05 November 2019 Authors: Nathaniel M. LacktmanEmily H. Wein CMS just released the 2020 final rule with changes to remote patient monitoring (RPM), officially titled “Chronic Care Remote Physiologic Monitoring,” reimbursed under the Medicare program, as part of the Physician Fee Schedule changes. The changes, proposed earlier this year, have been hotly-anticipated by digital health […]
The final rule for the 2020 Physician Fee Schedule gives hospitals and health systems more opportunities to use remote patient monitoring and paves the way for new telehealth and mHealth programs. By Eric Wicklund November 05, 2019 – Hospitals and health systems will see Medicare reimbursement for more remote patient monitoring services, according to finalized guidelines […]
What’s the news: A bipartisan Senate bill unveiled last week would make it easier for patients enrolled in Medicare to receive telehealth services from physicians. Digital health that counts The AMA is spearheading initiatives that put physicians at the center of digital health innovation. See how you can get involved. The AMA is joining more […]
The Medicare Advantage boom for home care is almost here. Ever since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) first expanded the scope of Medicare Advantage (MA) supplemental benefits in April 2018, at-home care providers have been trying to figure out they fit into a potentially new reimbursement puzzle. At least initially, it appeared […]
(NAPSI)—If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, or are considering one, you will have more plan choices with a wider range of benefits to help you better manage your day-to-day health needs during this year’s open enrollment period. Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, gives Medicare enrollees a […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday finalized the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) for 2020, in addition to its plan to phase out home health pre-payments and introduce a new home infusion therapy benefit. But perhaps the biggest news for U.S. home health providers is a major update to PDGM’s widely opposed […]
This week, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced the long-awaited updated version of the CONNECT for Health Act, a bill that is likely to be the most comprehensive bipartisan telehealth reform package to be introduced in this Congress. Lawmakers will consider the bill amid a surge in telehealth popularity and vocal support for telehealth […]
Fifteen or 20 years ago, the idea that we all would one day carry around mini-computers through which we could access virtually all of recorded information — and use that same device to watch movies, listen to music or make a phone call — was incomprehensible. Look at us now: Our mobile devices changed everything. […]
Removing geographic barriers and improving rural access are among the goals of CONNECT for Health Act of 2019, which has bipartisan Senate and House support. Support for telehealth is breaking political barriers in the nation’s Capitol. In a bipartisan, bicameral initiative, legislation to expand telehealth services through Medicare was introduced yesterday, led by U.S. Sen. […]
Within one year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must propose regulations that adjust the network adequacy requirements for Medicare Advantage plans to factor in access to telehealth services per a Trump Executive Order. By Dr. Amit Phull 1 Comment / Oct 14, 2019 at 9:00 AM On Oct. 3, President Trump signed an […]
Over the last decade, few issues in politics have been more polarizing than healthcare. It’s driven a deep wedge between Democrats and Republicans, particularly following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the subsequent efforts to repeal it, and has caused rifts within those parties. Yet despite all the animosity, there is one […]
On October 3, President Trump issued an executive order on “protecting and improving Medicare for our nation’s seniors.” For now, it’s only a statement of intent, but there’s quite a bit to like among the stated intentions. I’ve long argued that both Republicans and Democrats focus too heavily on the demand side of health care […]
Six new codes that are part of the 2020 Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code set will help physicians and others report a range of digital health services including electronic visits through secure patient portal messages. The new codes are spurred by digital health tools that are growing in popularity, such as patient portals. These tools […]
The American Medical Association (AMA) released updates to its Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for 2020, including new codes to keep doctors up-to-date with new technology. The AMA released 394 code changes, including 248 new codes, 71 deletions and 75 revisions. The changes, which will take effect on January 1, 2020, reflect new tech-enabled patient services. […]