Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, most health systems (91 percent) have been able to fully meet telehealth demand thanks to decreased regulations and increased reimbursement rates. For its “Top of Mind for Top Health Systems 2021: Digital health priorities in the era of COVID-19” report, KLAS Research partnered with Pittsburgh-based Center for Connected Medicine to survey […]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state Medicaid agencies have temporarily expanded their telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies in varying degrees. States, providers, advocates and families recognize the important role that telehealth has played in maintaining access to care during the pandemic and are now turning to the difficult work of evaluating which components of […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced it is adding 11 new telehealth services that Medicare will reimburse. This is the first addition to the Medicare telehealth services list since May 1, 2020. Per CMS, Medicare will begin paying eligible caregivers who furnish these newly added telehealth services — effective immediately — […]
In September we wrote about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) releasing its proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The proposed rule notably included several proposals to make permanent, extend, or transition out of COVID-19 flexibilities issued by the agency. This was especially true in the telehealth space. Other areas of interest included changes to evaluation and […]
Eleven new services have been added to the list of telehealth services reimbursed by Medicare fee-for-service during the COVID-19 health emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Wednesday. Many of the new services involve cardiovascular care, including intensive cardiac rehabilitation with and without exercise, pulmonary rehab with exercise, and in-person ventricular assist device interrogation. Certain […]
Community hospitals are a pillar of cities and towns across the nation and have been resilient over the past several years, especially during the pandemic. On Oct. 12, community hospital executives and industry leaders participated in the Becker’s Healthcare Community Hospitals Virtual Forum to discuss topics ranging from their biggest challenges and lessons learned during […]
CMS has added 11 services to Medicare’s telehealth reimbursement list for the duration of the pandemic and released new resources for state Medicaid and CHIP programs looking to expand their connected health offerings. By Eric Wicklund October 15, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced that 11 more telehealth services will qualify for Medicare […]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state Medicaid agencies have temporarily expanded their telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies in varying degrees. States, providers, advocates and families recognize the important role that telehealth has played in maintaining access to care during the pandemic and are now turning to the difficult work of evaluating which components 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 and […]
By Heather Spillman Sep 15, 2020 Telehealth is not a new concept for the health care industry. Prior to Covid-19, the provision of health care services via telehealth varied dramatically across providers, with significant differences based on the organization’s size, type, specialty, and even the market. Virtually overnight, Covid-19 changed telehealth from a “nice-to-have” capability to a […]
Over the past five months, Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have dramatically, but temporarily, expanded coverage and reimbursement for telehealth services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes are in effect for the duration of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Public Health Emergency (PHE). As there are significant […]
On August 3, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) updates for the 2021 calendar year, addressing among other policy changes how CMS will treat telehealth codes for the duration of and following the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Background: CMS’ Process for Reviewing New Telehealth Codes CMS […]
Steven Martel, M.D., CMIO at Central Maine Healthcare, describes his organization’s journey into telehealth during the pandemic, and what needs to happen for usage rates to remain high going forward. It’s been very well-documented that COVID-19 has forced patient care organizations to turn to alternative ways to provide care while limiting exposure to the virus. In this […]
The use of telehealth has exploded as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. For it to continue gaining momentum, private and public payers must appropriately reimburse for telehealth, according to the latest report from Insights by Xtelligent Healthcare Media. Healthcare leaders will continue to invest in telehealth tools and infrastructure. But organizations need support from […]