In anticipation of critical telehealth flexibilities expiring on Dec. 31, US Representatives Michelle Steel (CA-48), Brad Schneider (IL-10), and Susie Lee (NV-3), along with a bipartisan group of 30 Congress members, sent a letter requesting that House leadership include two pieces of legislation that extend some flexibilities in a year-end package. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, patients […]
After the COVID-19 pandemic changed telehealth, expanding access to the digital health care under temporary emergency policies, two House members said that congressional efforts are trying to expand Medicare’s virtual flexibilities beyond temporary pandemic efforts at an Axios event on Wednesday. According to CDC data from October, approximately 37% of adults in the U.S. used telemedicine in […]
The CMS Behavioral Health Strategy covers multiple elements including access to prevention and treatment services for substance use disorders, mental health services, crisis intervention and pain care; and further enable care that is well-coordinated and effectively integrated. The CMS Behavioral Health Strategy also seeks to remove barriers to care and services, and to adopt a […]
When the pandemic first hit in early 2020, Americans were faced with unprecedented challenges. Accessing safe and timely health care services was something that everyone from seniors to new parents struggled with as offices shuttered and millions quarantined. Health care providers had to swiftly adapt to the changing environment to provide care, and officials stepped […]
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a drastic increase in telehealth utilization across the country, which meaningfully changed the way providers deliver care and illuminated novel state telehealth policy design challenges. As the U.S. shifts into a new care paradigm where telehealth is more commonly used to deliver care, states are actively reviewing and […]
The House passed a bill Wednesday to expand telehealth services that were first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation, titled the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID–19 Act, passed in a 416-12 vote. Eleven Republicans and one Democrat objected to the measure. Two Republicans did not vote. Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), […]
Despite numerous bills to solidify telehealth flexibilities enacted during the pandemic, none have passed in Congress, leaving the future of telehealth access and adoption uncertain. By Anuja Vaidya June 20, 2022 – The significant spike in the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic was made possible by numerous legislative waivers that were quickly enacted as in-person care […]
COVID-19 has led to dramatic increases in adoption of telehealth by both physicians and patients. Policymakers should seize the opportunity to make permanent policy that supports many of these advancements beyond the pandemic. Why telehealth is important In the March 15, 2022, episode of Moving Medicine, AMA Chief Experience Officer Todd Unger discusses the importance of […]
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 […]
Make sure your facility is aware of all the Medicare policy changes that permit payment for expanded services. Telehealth as a healthcare delivery platform has been in existence since the late 1960s. It was first introduced through projects initiated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Nebraska Psychology Institute. The declaration of […]
The Biden administration is making another push for telehealth and other digital disease-monitoring tools to become sustainable beyond the pandemic. The US Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that it’s giving nearly $55 million to improve access to community health centers that have played a vital role in patient care as the country faced Covid-19. […]
A bipartisan group of 45 elected officials asked congressional leadership to include a short-term extension of Medicare services in government funding legislation. By Kat Jercich January 31, 2022 02:54 PM Dozens of U.S. senators and representatives urged congressional leadership this past Friday to safeguard Medicare telehealth services. Led by Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and […]
USDA is providing $43 million in new funds to rural healthcare providers, many of whom have earmarked the funds to implement and support telehealth services. By Anuja Vaidya April 19, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding $43 million to support rural healthcare providers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and many plan to use the funds to expand […]
APRIL 13, 2022•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES Vice President Harris to Host First-Ever Meeting with Cabinet Officials on Maternal Health On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, during Black Maternal Health Week, Vice President Kamala Harris will convene a meeting with Cabinet Secretaries and agency leaders to discuss the Administration’s whole-of-government approach to addressing maternal mortality and morbidity. 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 […]