During the Delta and Omicron surges, hospitals and health systems faced significant challenges, prompting AHA to ask Congress for additional COVID-19 financial support. By Victoria Bailey March 24, 2022 – The American Hospital Association (AHA) has urged Congress to provide hospitals and health systems with additional COVID-19 financial support, including more Provider Relief Funds and an extension on the Medicare […]
Sixteen new projects have been selected to receive the funding in the last round of the program established in 2020 to support the advancement of connected care. By Anuja Vaidya March 23, 2022 – The Federal Communications Commission has selected 16 new Connected Care Pilot Program projects to receive $29.7 million in funding. This is the fourth and final set […]
The bipartisan legislation would eliminate Medicare’s geographic and originating site restrictions and establish policies that ensure Medicare coverage for telehealth services. January 28, 2022 – U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) are co-sponsoring the Telehealth Modernization Act, which aims to solidify access to and coverage of telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries. At the start of the […]
Numerous telehealth bills are winding their way through Congress, and while they appear to have solid, bipartisan support, there are some key factors that could hold back their passage. January 17, 2022 – Though telehealth usage has both dipped and grown at various points over the last year, it is expected to remain a key part of care delivery […]
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (the Act), was passed by the U.S. House and Senate on March 9th and 10th, 2022, and signed into law by the President on March 15, 2022. The Act extends certain telehealth flexibilities for Medicare patients for 151 days after the official end of the federal public health emergency (PHE). Currently, the PHE […]
A bill introduced in the Senate aims to extend CMS‘ Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver for two years after the COVID-19 public health emergency reaches an end. By Mark Melchionna March 11, 2022 – Sens. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) and Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) introduced a bill called the Hospital Inpatient Services Act that allows for a two-year extension of […]
The 2022 Congressional budget bill includes flexibilities for doctors to provide telehealth services to patients, according to the leader of the American College of Physicians (ACP). But the American Hospital Association (AHA) criticized lawmakers for removing additional COVID-19 relief from the omnibus spending bill approved by the House of Representatives and now in the Senate with a vote expected in coming […]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS has allowed numerous telehealth flexibilities across Medicare and Medicaid, making it possible for patients to receive care remotely from their homes and enabling states, managed care organizations, and providers to expand access to care. The telehealth landscape looks drastically different now compared with before the pandemic, with patients and providers […]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, HHS has allowed numerous telehealth flexibilities across Medicare and Medicaid, making it possible for patients to receive care remotely from their homes and enabling states, managed care organizations, and providers to expand access to care. The telehealth landscape looks drastically different now compared with before the pandemic, with patients and providers […]
117th CONGRESS1st Session S. 1309 To provide payments for home health services furnished via visual or audio telecommunication systems during an emergency period. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESApril 22, 2021 Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Marshall, and Mrs. Shaheen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth servic es. 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 […]
The Choose Home Care Act of 2021 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives early Friday morning. The legislation was previously introduced in the Senate at the end of July. If enacted, the landmark Choose Home legislation would create an add-on payment to the traditional Medicare Home Health Benefit, allowing providers to mix in telehealth, transportation, […]
October 21, 2021—The Federal Communications Commission today approved an additional 71 applications for funding commitments totaling $40,468,845 for Round 2 of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. This is the FCC’s third funding announcement of approved Round 2 applications bringing the total to approximately $123.6 million awarded to health care providers in each state, territory, and the […]
More than 400 advocacy groups are calling for Congress to act quickly to permanently expand flexibilities for telehealth that could go away after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency expected to run through 2021. The 430 groups sent a letter to congressional leadership underscoring the urgency for action now amid concerns from providers that expanded […]