The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be making permanent a number of the temporary flexibilities to expand telehealth that the agency implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of rules affecting hospices that would be extended remains to be seen. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that among […]
A Federal Communications Commission plan to spend $300 million on telehealth is the latest in a series of steps taken to aid Americans during the coronavirus pandemic. While direct government spending on healthcare services is usually poorly targeted, such temporary emergency programs with strict spending limits and strict oversight can actually save money compared to […]
With the last of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program awards handed out, the Federal Communications Commission is ready to review the $200 million program’s effectiveness and move on to the Connected Care Pilot. By Eric Wicklund July 10, 2020 – The Federal Communications Commission has drained its $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Wednesday’s announcement of the final 25 funding […]
The House of Representatives recently introduced the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act, a bill calling for the permanence of telehealth regulations introduced in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Before the pandemic, Medicare beneficiaries could only utilize telehealth services if there was a physician shortage, and this could only be done at a designated […]
On June 23, 2020, the US Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury issued tri-agency FAQs (Part 43) that clarify important health and welfare provisions under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which became law on March 18, 2020, and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted on March 27, 2020. […]
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 As previously reported, Congress and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have removed longstanding regulatory barriers to the broad deployment of telehealth for general care during the COVID-19 pandemic. In parallel, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has established the Federal Communication Commission (“FCC”) COVID-19 Telehealth Program, (the […]
A new Health Affairs article notes how community health centers have struggled to use telehealth before and during COVID-19, and offers advice to help CHCs embrace connected health in the future. By Eric Wicklund June 03, 2020 – Community health centers will need a good grasp of telehealth to survive both the coronavirus pandemic and what lies beyond. […]
The number of CMS beneficiaries has grown from 12,000 weekly telehealth visits to “well into six figures” during the pandemic, and both President Donald Trump and CMS Administrator Seema Verma aim to continue those benefits. Kellyanne Conway, assistant to the president and senior counselor, and Ms. Verma spoke at a recent news teleconference and discussed, among other […]
A group of Senators is seeking more than $200 million in the next coronavirus relief bill to, among other things, expand telehealth programs at home and in schools to help children with behavioral health needs. Source: ThinkStockShare on Twitter By Eric Wicklund June 02, 2020 – A group of Senators is calling for increased funding for children’s behavioral […]
Although this may soon change, home health providers remain limited in using telehealth technologies in their day-to-day operations. In March, Congress made it clear through the CARES Act that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should do everything in its power to promote the use of telehealth tools during the COVID-19 emergency. Many home health […]
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICESCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C2-21-16Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850Center for Clinical Standards and Quality/Quality, Safety & Oversight GroupAdmin Info: 20-06-CLIADATE: April 30, 2020TO: State Survey Agency DirectorsFROM: DirectorQuality, Safety & Oversight GroupSUBJECT: CMS SARS-CoV-2 Laboratory Testing ComparisonBackground:CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s […]
COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests for whichMedicare Does Not Require a Practitioner Order During the PHE*Updated May 12, 2020CPT/HCPCSCode Laboratory Code Long DescriptorCodeCategoryCOVID-19 Related CodesU0001 CDC 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel COVID-19U00022019-nCoV Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2/2019-nCoV (COVID-19), any technique, multiple types orsubtypes (includes all targets), non-CDC)COVID-19U0003Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); […]
Medicare 1135 Waivers & Two Interim Final Rules Enabling Health System Expansion Medicare 1135 Waivers & Two Interim Final Rules •CMS has two critical roles: •Ensure Medicare beneficiaries receive safeand effectivecare during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). •Ensure Medicare payment/coverage policies during the COVID-19 PHE do not impedeproviders working to expand capacity to treat […]
Updated: 5/1/2020 COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing The FAQs in this document supplement the following previously released FAQs: 1135 Waiver FAQs, available at https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency- Information/Emergency/Downloads/MedicareFFS-EmergencyQsAs1135Waiver.pdf, and Without 1135 Waiver FAQs, available at https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency- Information/Emergency/Downloads/Consolidated_Medicare_FFS_Emergency_QsAs.pdf). We note that in many instances, the general statements of the FAQs referenced above have been […]
During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, HHS has taken steps to make it easier to provide telehealth services. Telehealth — sometimes referred to as telemedicine — describes the use of 2-way communication technology for certain health care services. We encourage health care providers to adopt and use telehealth as a way to safely provide care to […]