Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth was more of a stretch goal than a reality for most providers despite the seeming prevalence of video conferencing. Traditionally, although technology barriers were cited as a limiting factor, the gradual widespread adoption of high-speed internet and smartphones overcame that obstacle for most patients, but some of those least […]
Lawmakers and public policy experts are calling on Congress to expand home- and community-based services (HCBS) and telehealth as the U.S. emerges from the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said HCBS should be a mandatory benefit under Medicaid and should be […]
If signed into law, the APTA-backed bill would achieve a major association goal. Contact Congress now to voice your support.NewsDate: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 Informed by lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced APTA-backed legislation that would make payment for services delivered via telehealth […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) formally introduced bipartisan legislation today to close the digital divide in health care and address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes. The Tech to Save Moms Act will […]
The Covid-19 pandemic has decimated hospital finances, and as a result, rural providers are forced to make key IT spending decisions with limited dollars. Here is a snapshot of how they will prioritize those dollars this year and the federal support they need to survive the ongoing public health crisis. By ANUJA VAIDYA Post a comment / Mar […]
Crises have the unique power to both unearth long-simmering problems and unmask raw potential. I think it’s fair to say that the COVID-19 pandemic (an indisputable crisis) has managed to do both. While it has revealed fissures in our healthcare system — infection control issues in congregate settings, and healthcare disparities among races and between […]
Minutes after the full Senate confirmed Xavier Becerra’s cabinet nomination, advocacy groups were reminding him of the need to bring the American healthcare system “into the 21st century.” By Kat Jercich March 18, 2021 03:19 PM Health advocacy groups congratulated new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on his confirmation Thursday […]
The hospital reimbursement increase should also come with quality incentive program revisions, while physician rates should stay the course, according to the March report to Congress. By Jacqueline LaPointe March 17, 2021 – In its annual March report to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has recommended a 2 percent increase in Medicare hospital reimbursement rates in 2022 and […]
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission is taking a cautious approach to long-term telehealth policy, telling lawmakers to extend COVID-19 telehealth freedoms for a few years before making any final decisions. By Eric Wicklund March 16, 2021 – The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission is taking a cautious approach to permanent telehealth policy, advising lawmakers to extend some emergency rules […]
The COVID-19 pandemic made healthcare visits over video or phone the norm, likely turning telehealth into a permanent fixture within the U.S. healthcare system. In fact, the majority of patient access leaders at large hospitals believe 20-30 percent of appointments will happen over video in 2021, according to recent research. Further, an overwhelming portion of those leaders – 95 […]
Several bills on Capitol Hill aim to expand telehealth coverage for mental health and substance abuse services delivered via telehealth, including efforts to reduce barriers to prescribing scheduled drugs. By Eric Wicklund March 15, 2021 – Congress will be taking a serious look at expanding telehealth coverage for mental health and substance abuse services this year. Last week […]
CMS has announced its final round of participants in the Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) model, an innovative Medicare program that could use telehealth and mHealth tools to improve care for 911 callers. By Eric Wicklund March 15, 2021 – Federal officials have selected another 184 emergency healthcare providers to take part in an innovative program that […]
MedPAC survey found that 90% of Medicare beneficiaries were satisfied with telehealth WASHINGTON, DC, MARCH 16, 2021 – The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) appreciates that the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), in their March 2021 report to Congress on Medicare payment policy, recognized the importance of telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and the need for policy […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers and providers are looking for ways to maintain expanded access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the health care services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients […]
A bipartisan group of 50 Senators, led by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), introduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021, which builds on prior iterations of the bill with learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill attempts to address the post-pandemic Medicare telehealth landscape. While the federal […]