As we covered in a prior Telehealth Update, many of the flexibilities upon which telehealth providers have come to rely in recent years are tied to the federal Public Health Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic (the PHE). While permanent changes in many states have expanded the types of providers who can provide telehealth services and loosened […]
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 […]
Telehealth is a natural fit to cover healthcare gaps in rural and frontier locations. But the nature of rural living often means difficulty accessing the tools and resources needed for a successful and sustainable telehealth practice. On this page: Internet access for rural telehealth patients and providers Equipment and technology access for rural telehealth Solutions […]
Preparation is critical for patients who are new to receiving care through telehealth. Rural patients often have high levels of healthcare needs, but see healthcare providers less than their urban counterparts. In short, the people who need healthcare the most aren’t always getting it. Telehealth can be that bridge for rural patients to get the […]
Billing and reimbursement for rural and frontier telehealth services is, in many ways, no different than any other healthcare service. There are also some stark differences. On this page: Medicare and Medicaid billing reimbursement Medicare billing guidance Medicare and Medicaid billing reimbursement The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health focuses on rural […]
Save time and avoid frustration by planning your telehealth workflow in advance. On this page: Get to know your community Create a business plan Market and advertise your telehealth services Evaluate your telehealth program A successful and sustainable telehealth practice in a rural area needs careful planning from the early research through implementation. We can […]
Learn strategies for developing a rural telehealth program. Rural frontier living can be a haven for the 60 million Americans that live in a rural part of the United States. It often means less traffic congestion, less pollution, and more open spaces.fq Rural living may also mean less access to critical healthcare infrastructure and technology. […]
Learn the basic requirements for treating rural communities virtually. There are several ways to approach rural telehealth care. You could be living and working in a rural or frontier area and launching a new telehealth program. Or you could be located in a more urban or suburban area and expanding your practice to include rural […]
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 […]
On July 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its annual proposed rule updating the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for calendar year (CY) 2023, which included various proposed changes related to the provision of telehealth, including implementing telehealth provisions included within the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, and extending coverage through the end of […]
A bill that would extend telehealth waivers until the end of 2024 has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The news is notable because it means that these pandemic-relief telehealth flexibilities could be untied from the public health emergency (PHE). Currently, the PHE is set to expire in October, but could receive another […]
DA 22-805 Released: July 29, 2022 WC Docket No. 20-89 By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) extends two deadlines for Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program (COVID-19 Program). First, in response to recent requests from awardees, we extend the deadline for funding recipients to purchase eligible devices and implement eligible services […]
The federal government will give skilled nursing facilities a 2.7% pay bump in their payments for 2023, according to the final rule published on Friday. This reflects a $1.7 billion increase resulting from a 5.1% bump to the payment rates for SNFs. That includes a 3.9% SNF market basket increase, a 1.5 percentage point market basket forecast […]
It started out as a $4 trillion infrastructure package; but nearly a year and a half later, Biden’s Build Back Better initiative is now a $40 billion healthcare bill. The whittling down of the package was mostly the work of one senator, Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Manchin has successfully hacked away at the […]