Introduction to the Quality Outlook: Cancer and COVID-19 – Looking Ahead to Telehealth Post-Pandemic Mini-Series Tom Valuck, MD, JD—Blog Editor The pandemic has dramatically impacted cancer care, leading to a reduction in preventive care, alterations and delays in treatment, and suspension of some clinical trials. Certain cancers, including lung cancer and leukemia and lymphomas, have ranked among the top […]
Several states passed recent laws that would require commercial insurance plans to cover more telehealth services on a permanent basis. More states now require health plans to pay the same amount for telehealth as in-person visits. By ELISE REUTER / Feb 9, 2021 at 4:40 PM As emergency measures have greatly expanded patients’ access to virtual care […]
The COVID-19 pandemic transformed telehealth by creating a sudden imperative for remote delivery of medical care to the benefit of patients and providers alike. That transformation has catapulted telehealth and its many benefits to the forefront of mainstream medicine. The challenge now: Make those benefits permanent and expand them further to improve value in care […]
February 7, 2021 – Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Tuesday made a visit to Children’s National Hospital, and a virtual visit to the University of Virginia, to emphasize the agency’s goals of investing in telehealth strategies, with a specific emphasis on serving marginalized communities, veterans, and low-income patients. Rosenworcel acknowledged that more needs to […]
AMGA president and CEO calls on Congress to act on several of the organization’s priorities, including coronavirus vaccination and promotion of telemedicine. KEY TAKEAWAYS In 2021, Congress should provide $100 billion in pandemic relief to healthcare providers, AMGA President and CEO Jerry Penso says. Congress should extend the moratorium on Medicare sequestration cuts through the […]
As we’ve discussed in previous posts, since the beginning of the pandemic, telehealth providers have seen a dramatic increase in demand for their services along with a number of temporary regulatory measures aimed at expanding telehealth access to more patient populations. Most of these measures, on the federal and state level, are tied to the […]
Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) aims to protect older Americans living in nursing homes from risking exposure to the coronavirus by increasing their access to remote healthcare. “The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for better connectivity across rural America,” said Sen. Capito, and it “has put rigid restrictions on […]
Remote healthcare has taken big leaps forward over the past year, spurred on equally by new technologies and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest winners: senior patients, who are now able to benefit from more proactive care and avoid trips to the doctor’s office, clinic or emergency room. They can now use solutions […]
The FCC released the agenda for its next Open Meeting, scheduled for February 17, 2021, which will be the first with Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel at the helm. The FCC plans to kick off the meeting with three presentations detailing the Commission’s progress in implementing programs designed to support broadband access and deployment. First, the FCC […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WHSV) — West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar have reintroduced legislation to enhance telehealth support for seniors and increase access to technology for “virtual visits” during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release from Senator Capito’s office. The press release says the Advancing Connectivity during the Coronavirus […]
Every patient who could benefit should be armed with the sophisticated and validated technologies currently available to monitor key biometrics at home to alert patients and their clinicians of abnormalities and opportunities for early intervention. By LUCIENNE IDE Post a comment / Feb 3, 2021 at 10:11 AM As the founder of a health IT company and a […]
Few people question whether care delivery will continue to migrate out of the hospital into new settings such as the home. The better question is, what services – specifically – will migrate to the home, and what innovations are necessary to support these migrations? By ELLEN HERLACHER Post a comment / Jan 31, 2021 at 10:00 AM By […]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently updated its 2021 Work Plan in January to include audits of Medicare Part B and home health telehealth services by OIG’s Office of Audit Services (OAS). OAS conducts independent audits of HHS programs, HHS grantees, and contractors to examine their performance in carrying out their responsibilities […]
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) released it’s post-COVID-19 telehealth policy proposals on Tuesday. These proposals include the expansion of telehealth services, requiring payment parity for telehealth services, expanding the use of audio-only care and many more proposals. When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a public health emergency, the collective provisions like the CARES Act, FFCRA and other federal […]
As we’ve discussed in previous posts, since the beginning of the pandemic, telehealth providers have seen a dramatic increase in demand for their services along with a number of temporary regulatory measures aimed at expanding telehealth access to more patient populations. Most of these measures, on the federal and state level, are tied to the […]