Virtual Exam and Virtual Care
Bipartisan support keeps telehealth adoption moving forward
Over the last decade, few issues in politics have been more polarizing than healthcare. It’s driven a deep wedge between Democrats and Republicans, particularly following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the subsequent efforts to repeal it, and has caused rifts within those parties. Yet despite all the animosity, there is one […]
Telehealth Continues To Change The Face Of Healthcare Delivery – For The Better
As the federal government, via Medicare/Medicaid, and insurance companies strive to keep “heads out of beds” (e.g., patients managed into an outpatient setting [your doctor’s office] vs. inpatient/hospital settings), the need for more clinicians and better access to care grows unabated. In an effort to manage both increased demand (e.g., access) by patients and patients […]
AMA Supports Remote Patient Monitoring, Telehealth in 2020 CPT Codes
The American Medical Association is adding several new codes to its 2020 CPT code set to support remote patient monitoring and telehealth services. By Eric Wicklund September 09, 2019 – Remote patient monitoring and telehealth play prominently in the 2020 CPT codes unveiled this month by the American Medical Association. Among the 248 new codes added […]
Do benefits of remote patient monitoring outweigh challenges?
Remote patient monitoring keeps healthcare providers informed about their patients’ health between visits, and can warn them if something changes that needs immediate attention. Reda Chouffani Biz Technology Solutions Published: 19 Aug 2019 Remote patient monitoring allows providers to stay updated about their patients’ health outside of the four walls of a hospital. Being able […]
CMS Innovation Center Proposes Telehealth Solutions in ET3 Model
As part of its efforts to provide patient-centered care and reduce costs for Medicare beneficiaries, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) have developed an Innovation Center model for ambulance care teams: Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport (ET3). As part of this model, the agency has proposed two potential telehealth offerings: 1) An individual who […]
New Bill Seeks to Expand Telehealth Services in Rural Health Clinics
A bill introduced in April seeks to expand telehealth services offered by the nation’s 4,300 rural health clinics by enabling them to be qualified through Medicare as distant site providers. By Eric Wicklund May 15, 2019 – Congress is considering a bill that would enable rural health clinics to support – and be reimbursed for – […]
CMS Issues Final Rule for Telehealth
Monday, May 13, 2019 Citing the use of telehealth as a care delivery option for Medicare Advantage (MA or Part C) enrollees with the potential to “improve access to and timeliness of needed care, increase convenience for patients, increase communication between providers and patients, enhance care coordination, improve quality and reduce costs related to in-person […]
CMS Final Rule Offers the Promise of Additional Telehealth Services for MA Plan Enrollees
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has published a final rule that will expand access to telehealth services for Medicare Advantage (“MA”) plan enrollees.[1]CMS Administrator Seema Verma characterized the agency’s latest policymaking efforts as “a historic step in bringing innovative technology to Medicare beneficiaries” and a way for the agency to provide “greater flexibility to Medicare Advantage […]
Contract Year 2020 Medicare Advantage and Part D Flexibility Final Rule (CMS-4185-F)
Contract Year 2020 Medicare Advantage and Part D Flexibility Final Rule (CMS-4185-F) On April 5, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that updates the Medicare Advantage (MA or Part C) and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D) programs by promoting innovative plan designs, improved quality, and choices for […]
CMS Shares Strategies for Successful Collaborations Between ACOs, Nursing Homes
The federal government released a breakdown of strategies that accountable care organizations (ACOs) have used to successfully partner with skilled nursing facilities — a move that could indicate policymakers’ continued support of the care models. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a care coordination toolkit for ACOs that drew from focus […]
CMS Updates MA Flexibility to Allow Telehealth Patient Care Access
The rule updates give Medicare Advantage plans the flexibility to offer telehealth as a covered benefit, boosting patient care access. By Sara Heath April 09, 2019 – CMS has finalized updates that would introduce telehealth as a covered benefit in Medicare Advantage plans, which will ideally improve patient care access. This move comes as a part […]
CMS Expands Telehealth Benefits under Medicare Advantage
On Friday, April 5, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced that it had finalized policies allowing Medicare Advantage plans (“MA Plans”) to include additional telehealth benefits in their basic benefit packages starting in 2020. The final rule implementing the changes (the “Final Rule”) will be published in the Federal Register on April 16, […]
Providers pushing for more telehealth flexibility after CMS opens up virtual visits to Medicare Advantage plans
Providers will be able to offer more telemedicine services to seniors in private Medicare plans, thanks to changes announced Friday. But nursing home advocates are pushing for more, hoping the technology can help ease the industry’s ongoing staffing challenges. Under the final rule starting in plan year 2020, nursing facility patients on Part C plans […]