The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that despite the positive impact of telehealth flexibilities on home health agencies (HHAs), there is a need for further review of the services they provide and the patients it benefits most. As COVID-19 cases grew, so did restrictions on in-person healthcare. This […]
Telehealth remains a major topic of debate and study in the health policy community. This article looks at several recent newsworthy items in the telehealth space. This includes hundreds of groups lobbying the U.S. Senate for telehealth policy extensions, a study showing consumer preference for telehealth visits, and further debate about these services. Hundreds of […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should evaluate how the use of telehealth affected the quality of home healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The government watchdog issued the recommendation in a report to the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday, Oct. 18. The OIG surveyed 400 […]
Introduction Hospital-at-home programs enable patients to receive acute care in their home environment. These programs have proliferated due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent surge in hospitalizations, which has stressed hospital capacity nationally. The model has been well-tested, and studies have shown that hospital-at-home programs can reduce length of stay, improve quality, lower risk of […]
The current 90-day extension ends on January 11, 2023. The Biden Administration has extended the public health emergency for the 11th time since the declaration was first made in January 2020. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra issued another 90-day declaration on Thursday, October 13. The current extension ends on January 11, 2023, Telehealth waivers, granted […]
Telehealth use has grown significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a broad coalition of telehealth stakeholders wants the U.S. Senate to continue the policies enabling that growth. In a September 13 letter to Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) the coalition urged the Senate to extend by two years the […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Thursday that the COVID-19 public health emergency will continue through Jan. 11 as officials brace for a spike in cases this winter. The decision comes as the pandemic has faded from the forefront of many people’s minds. Daily deaths and infections are dropping and people — many of them maskless — are returning […]
When President Joe Biden declared the COVID-19 pandemic “over” Sept. 18, his message divided the medical community and sent a clear message: the nation is moving on from COVID-19. On Oct. 13, HHS extended the public health emergency once again and sent another clear message: the healthcare system is not ready to move on. “It’s not that we necessarily want to […]
For healthcare providers treating some of the most underserved populations and communities, the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency is pretty bleak. Federal waivers expanding access to and coverage of telehealth will end with the PHE, forcing them to curtail or even end programs that had seen quite a bit of success over the […]
The routine physician’s office visit is experiencing disruption at the hands of virtual care technology. According to the newly released J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Telehealth Satisfaction Study, a growing majority of consumers now say they prefer telehealth over in-person visits for a wide range of routine care, including prescription refills, reviews of medication options and […]
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 American Telehealth Association is working with Congress and several federal agencies to shape the fate of policies and payments for telehealth services that experienced a rapid uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic. WHY IT MATTERS Now that President Joe Biden has declared the COVID-19 pandemic over, the ATA’s Telehealth Awareness Week policy update webinar explored […]
As we covered in a prior Telehealth Update, many of the flexibilities upon which telehealth providers have come to rely in recent years are tied to the federal Public Health Emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic (the PHE). While permanent changes in many states have expanded the types of providers who can provide telehealth services and loosened […]
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 […]
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for a bipartisan bill that extends Medicare telehealth payment and regulatory flexibilities through the end of 2024. The House’s 416–12 vote last week is a manifestation of the massive support among lawmakers, patients and physicians to build on the gains of telehealth seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure it continues […]