Alongside President Trump’s call for more rural telehealth coverage, CMS’ proposed 2021 Physician Fee Schedule could keep the momentum going for connected health. But is it enough? August 06, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has come out with its long-anticipated plans to expand telehealth coverage beyond the coronavirus pandemic. An advance copy of the […]
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 […]
President Donald Trump on Monday ordered a potentially long-term extension of reimbursements for telehealth services that have exploded in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic and once again claimed to be putting the finishing touches on a “tremendous health care plan.” President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference Monday at the White House after announcing […]
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 […]
President Donald Trump signed a new executive order Aug. 3 to expand access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic, notably in rural areas. The Trump administration also is extending some telehealth services even after the pandemic public health emergency ends. The order requires the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to roll out new […]
The Secretary of Health and Human Services announced a renewal of the nationwide public health emergency (“PHE”) late on Thursday, July 23, 2020. The announcement came just two days before the then-current PHE designation was set to expire, and will extend the PHE for an additional ninety-day period. The PHE declaration, along with the Stafford […]
Lots of industry groups want to see the temporary government waivers enacted early on during the COVID-19 public health emergency – the ones enabling the vast expansion of telehealth and remote patient monitoring over the past four months – to be made permanent once the storm has subsided. And some legislators do too. But many, […]
Organizations and experts offer insights and predictions about what lies ahead post-COVID-19. KEY TAKEAWAYS Legislation proposed by the House addresses the most urgent priorities to permanently extend telehealth waivers. Clinical appropriateness, payment, and fraud are among the topics that will be explored during the next phase of telehealth expansion. Incentives to invest in technology, licensure […]
President Donald Trump said telemedicine is a top priority for his administration and is working to make the temporary regulatory changes permanent during a July 16 news briefing. After the pandemic hit, the administration removed barriers that allowed physicians to work across state lines to provide telemedicine. It also made changes to temporarily boost reimbursement for […]
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 […]
It’s time for policymakers, hospitals and everyone else at the health care roulette table to bet all their chips on proactive, pre-acute home-based care. During the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. health care system has undergone a massive change marked by the skyrocketing use of telehealth technology and the shift away from brick-and-mortar medical appointments. In […]
340 organisations have signed a letter requesting Congressional leaders make telehealth flexibilities which have been created during the Covid-19 pandemic permanent. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Congress quickly waived statutory barriers to allow expanded access to telehealth, however, if Congress does not act before the Covid-19 public health emergency expires, then these current […]
The Federal Communications Commission is adding almost $200 million to the Rural Health Care Program, giving providers more resources to expand broadband connectivity to support telehealth and mHealth platforms. By Eric Wicklund June 30, 2020 – Federal officials are adding almost $200 million to a fund designed to help rural healthcare providers expand their broadband resources, giving them […]
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 […]
June 30, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic has forced healthcare systems around the world to make greater use of telehealth services during lockdown, and lawmakers in the US want to see if those changes could be permanent. Representative Robin Kelly (Democrat – Illinois) tabled a bill in the House on at the beginning of the month […]