November 02, 2020 – A bill introduced last week in the Senate aims to establish Medicare and Medicaid coverage for telehealth programs that monitor the health of expectant mothers. The Connected Maternal Online Mothering Services (MOM) Act (S.4859) would establish coverage for remote patient monitoring programs for pregnant women that track blood pressure, blood glucose and pulse rates […]
CMS released the 2021 home health final rule on Thursday, October 29, 2020. There were minimal changes compared to the home health proposed rule that was released in July 2020. Probably the best news in the rule was the 1.9% aggregate increase (or $390 million) in reimbursement that agencies will realize in 2021. Although the […]
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 […]
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 […]
The telehealth revolution has arrived, faster than even its most ardent proponents anticipated. Virtual doctor visits are on track to top 1 billion by the end of this year. That would be 30 times the figure from just three years ago. People with diabetes have been among the most enthusiastic adopters of remote care. At […]
CMS finalized 2021 payment updates for home health agencies Oct. 29. Four takeaways on the changes, which are effective Jan. 1: 1. CMS will increase payments to home health agencies by about 1.9 percent, or $390 million, for 2021. 2. CMS also finalized home infusion therapy rates for 2021. The rates will result in a 0.7 percent […]
In a new Healthcare Strategies podcast, Chris Waugh, chief innovation officer at Sutter Health, explains how the health system is creating a strategy that integrates virtual and in-person care to treat the whole patient. By Eric Wicklund October 29, 2020 – Health systems looking for the right balance between telehealth and in-person care shouldn’t think of one service […]
Telehealth growth has sped up during the pandemic, but whether it continues long-term is a point of debate among hospital and health system CIOs. The fate of telehealth rests on several factors, including CMS and commercial payers permanently extending payment benefits for telehealth and virtual care services. “CMS keeps kicking the can down the road, […]
Hospitals making use of smart technologies such as artificial intelligence, remote health monitoring and robotics, are delivering higher standards of care according to new research from business consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan. A new report titled Digital Hospitals: Creating Growth Opportunities in Patient Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond , has found that COVID-19 has led […]
Addressed holistically, India could not only leapfrog and become a model for digital health adoption, but healthcare could well be India’s primary driver of growth and employment. By Anil Nair The global pandemic has brought healthcare under the lens like never before. While hospitals and healthcare providers are manning the frontlines to limit the spread of the virus, […]
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced the Home Health Emergency Access to Telehealth (HEAT) Act, a bipartisan bill to provide Medicare reimbursement for audio and video telehealth services furnished by home health agencies during the COVID-19 emergency and future public health emergencies. U.S. Representatives Roger Marshall (R-KS), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Jodey […]
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule [CMS-1730-F] that finalizes routine updates to the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2021, in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements. This rule also finalizes the regulatory changes related to the use of telecommunications technology in providing care under […]
CMS on Thursday made permanent changes to telehealth flexibilities for home health providers. In its home health payment rule for 2021, the agency signed off on changes to allow providers to use telehealth for related skilled services if they’re outlined in a patient’s care plan. It also requires provides to describe how telehealth would improve treatment in a patient’s […]
By 2025, the World Economic Forum estimates that 463 exabytes of data will be created each day. Already, a single patient generates close to 80 megabytes each year in imaging and electronic medical record (EMR) data, according to an Innovation in Care Delivery article. While many clinicians and health care providers are hesitant to integrate aspects of AI into […]
Telehealth programs that include the caregiver in the care management process stand a better chance of improving outcomes and quality of life. October 16, 2020 – Telehealth programs are so focused on connecting the patient with the provider that they sometimes forget about the other person in the room: the caregiver. And that’s a problem. Family members […]