Medicare, Public Health and Trends - Connected Health Pulse

House extends virtual care flexibilities beyond public health emergency

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MARCH 10, 2022

House of Representatives approved an omnibus spending bill late Wednesday night that extends temporary telehealth flexibilities under Medicare beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate, several COVID-19-era telehealth policies will remain in place for about five months after the public health emergency ends. THE LARGER TREND.

Public Health

Public Health Medicare Telehealth Mental health

Connected Health Initiative asks Senate to pass Telehealth Modernization Act

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

expressing support for the Telehealth Modernization Act and stressing the urgency of safeguarding access to virtual care before the public health emergency is set to expire. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., WHY IT MATTERS. In its letter, the CHI supported these provisions and urged Alexander and his colleagues to go further.

Connected Health

Connected Health Telehealth Medicare Public Health

Bipartisan House bill proposes permanent telehealth benefits

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

The Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act would amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income and Security Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers to treat benefits for telehealth services like excepted benefits. In an announcement about the bipartisan bill, Rep.

Telehealth

Telehealth Public Health Medicare Healthcare IT

The CONNECT for Health Act is reintroduced, again

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 20, 2023

A bipartisan group of legislators has reintroduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies for Health Act – first introduced in 2016 – to expand opportunities and coverage for telehealth through Medicare. Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirements for telemental health services.

Medicare

Medicare Telehealth Healthcare IT Public Health

From Evolution to Innovation, from Health Care to Health: How Health Plans With Collaborators Are Re-Defining the Industry

Health Populi

FEBRUARY 4, 2024

Patients and health plan members continue evolving into medical bill payers, with their homes and budgets baked into the concept. These trends began to take hold in the U.S. Of particular note is the organization’s “promise of health assurance – care that is more proactive, accessible, and affordable to people everywhere.”

Primary Care

Primary Care Medicare Medical Billing Public Health

U.S. lawmakers reintroduce House bill safeguarding access to telehealth

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JANUARY 25, 2021

According to a press statement from Thompson's office, it would: Eliminate most geographic and originating site restrictions on the use of telehealth in Medicare and establishing the patient’s home as an eligible distant site. " THE LARGER TREND.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Public Health Telemedicine

State Medicaid programs want to keep telehealth expansions, KFF analysis finds

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JANUARY 11, 2023

The Kaiser Family Foundation recently looked at state trends with regard to expanding access to telehealth-based behavioral care during the pandemic and found that states see telemedicine as a key component of maintaining access to behavioral healthcare for Medicaid enrollees. " THE LARGER TREND. WHY IT MATTERS.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Healthcare IT Public Health

Telemental Healthcare Access Act would repeal in-person service requirements

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 16, 2021

would remove the statutory requirement that Medicare beneficiaries be seen in person within six months of receiving mental health services through telehealth. "Medicare patients deserve direct access to telemental health services, and this bill removes barriers, to make this possible," he said. THE LARGER TREND.

Mental health

Mental health Medicare Telehealth Public Health

As 'telehealth cliff' looms, hundreds of healthcare orgs urge Congress to act

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 27, 2021

Leading healthcare industry stakeholders on Monday implored top leaders in the House and Senate to help ensure, among other imperatives, that "Medicare beneficiaries [don't] abruptly lose access to nearly all recently expanded coverage of telehealth." " WHY IT MATTERS.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Public Health Telemedicine

OCR will ease restrictions on telehealth tech during COVID-19

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MARCH 18, 2020

" Covered entities seeking to use audio or video communication tech to reach patients where they live "can use any non-public facing remote communication product that is available to communicate with patients," said the agency. THE LARGER TREND. and Google G Suite Hangouts Meet. ON THE RECORD.

Telehealth

Telehealth HIPAA Medicare Public Health

Bipartisan House bill would enshrine telehealth rule changes, enable wider use

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 16, 2020

House of Representatives on Thursday aims to ensure telehealth is able to continue to build on its potential in the years ahead, by making permanent some policies enacted during the pandemic and protecting Medicare beneficiaries' ability to engage in virtual care. THE LARGER TREND. WHY IT MATTERS.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Public Health Telemedicine

ATA cheers prospective telehealth extensions, but calls for more

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 26, 2022

The American Telemedicine Association and its ATA Action affiliate on Monday expressed support for a bipartisan bill that would extend the virtual care flexibilities of the public health emergency another two years. They also called for the legislation to safeguard two other provisions they said were key to health equity.

Telehealth

Telehealth Public Health Medicare Connected Health

Study of 36.5M people reveals huge jump in pandemic telehealth use

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MARCH 25, 2021

Using data from Blue Health Intelligence data repository – an independent data and analytics company that is a licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association – researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health compared claims data from March through June 2019 with March through June 2020.

Telehealth

Telehealth Public Health Medicare Healthcare IT

HHS watchdog reiterates importance of preventing telemedicine fraud

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MARCH 1, 2021

"OIG is conducting significant oversight work assessing telehealth services during the public health emergency. "Where telehealth and other remote access technologies were once a matter of convenience, the public health emergency made them a matter of safety for many beneficiaries," wrote Grimm.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine Telehealth Public Health Medicare

Telehealth Reimbursement: End-of-Pandemic Emergency Update

Telebehavioral Health Institute

MARCH 9, 2023

Based on current COVID-19 recovery trends, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the US federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) waivers will end on May 11, 2023. Private payers, Medicaid, and Medicare initiated widespread telehealth reimbursement approvals.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Remote care Public Health

Adelaide virtual care project gets state backing

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MAY 4, 2023

In addition, the project will form a new digital health workforce by training doctors, nurses and allied health professionals in both hospital and primary care. Enterprise Taxonomy: Telehealth Population and Public Health Patient Access Care

Primary Care

Primary Care EMR Digital Health Telehealth

Hundreds of industry groups call on Congress to advance permanent telehealth reform

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 30, 2020

"Much of this transformation is dependent on temporary flexibilities extended to health systems and providers that are limited to the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency declaration," the letter read. THE LARGER TREND. Senate HELP Committee Chair Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Meanwhile, U.S.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Telemedicine Public Health

Dozens of U.S. legislators push for telehealth coverage expansion

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JANUARY 31, 2022

senators and representatives urged congressional leadership to safeguard Medicare telehealth services this past Friday. "Telehealth has been a critical tool during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that patients continue to receive the health care they need while keeping health care providers and patients safe," read the letter.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Leadership Public Health

22 states changed telemedicine laws during the pandemic

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 24, 2021

In March 2020, federal regulators temporarily relaxed restrictions for telemedicine visits for Medicare patients, raising payments to the same level as in-person visits and reducing cost-sharing, among other changes. THE LARGER TREND. WHY IT MATTERS.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine Public Health Medicare Telehealth

Nuvance Health develops new memory care-at-home platform

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

THE LARGER TREND. Along with telehealth, remote patient monitoring programs grew during the COVID-19 pandemic because federal rules gave providers the flexibility to use RPM for the duration of the public health emergency.

Public Health

Public Health Remote care Healthcare IT Patient Experience

Florida man pleads guilty in scheme exploiting amended telehealth restrictions

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Department of Justice announced this week that a Florida laboratory owner had pleaded guilty for his role in a $73 million Medicare kickback scheme. Although these changes were intended to safeguard access to care for Medicare beneficiaries, DOJ says some fraudsters have used them for their own benefit. THE LARGER TREND.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Public Health Federal healthcare

Study of 40.7M adults finds telehealth comparable for chronic conditions

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

APRIL 29, 2022

"This trend was observed especially for acute respiratory-related conditions, which potentially could be confounded by concerns over COVID-19 rather than the less complicated acute non-COVID-19 diagnosis," wrote researchers. THE LARGER TREND. Many previous large studies of telehealth use have relied on Medicare data.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Healthcare IT Public Health

AMA & other med groups express 'dismay' at prospect of waivers made permanent

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 28, 2020

Lots of industry groups want to see the temporary government waivers enacted early on during the COVID-19 public health emergency – the ones enabling the vast expansion of telehealth and remote patient monitoring over the past four months – to be made permanent once the storm has subsided. " THE LARGER TREND.

Public Health

Public Health Nursing Telehealth Medicare

Use of Preventive Health Services Declined Among Commercially Insured People – With Big Differences in Telehealth for Non-White People, Castlight Finds

Health Populi

JUNE 27, 2022

Castlight published the full research findings in April in the company’s 2022 Workforce Health Index. The full report speaks to medical spending and utilization trends for preventive care, telehealth, and behavioral health. You can access state-by-state specifics on the Castlight Health supplemental dataset portal ].

Telehealth

Telehealth Mental health Primary Care Medicare

Congress should include telehealth in year-end funding, say ATA, HIMSS

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

DECEMBER 14, 2020

The American Telemedicine Association, the Connected Health Initiative and other industry groups issued a letter to Congress on Friday urging legislators to extend temporary telehealth flexibilities until the end of 2021. THE LARGER TREND. Despite bipartisan support such legislation has failed to gather significant momentum.

Telehealth

Telehealth eHealth Public Health Connected Health

Health Disparities in America: JAMA Talks Structural Racism in U.S. Health Care

Health Populi

AUGUST 24, 2021

They conclude, “the US is consistently the wealthiest country in the world with subpar levels of coverage for a core set of health services; these findings provide additional evidence of the need to reduce disparities.” This research looked at enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans compared with traditional Medicare.

Primary Care

Primary Care Medicare Nursing Public Health

Walmart signals plans to offer telehealth in 16 more states

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 8, 2021

Livingston found that MC Medical LLC, Walmart Health's primary care provider, has registered to operate in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington. THE LARGER TREND. ON THE RECORD.

Telehealth

Telehealth Primary Care Public Health Medicare

ATA weighs in on proposed CMS Physician Fee Schedule rule

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

The American Telemedicine Association was among several groups this week that submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. THE LARGER TREND. WHY IT MATTERS.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Public Health Telemedicine

Bipartisan TIKES Act would improve telehealth access for kids

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

OCTOBER 2, 2020

Lawrence Moss, president and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health System, in a statement. "The public health challenge of COVID-19 highlighted its effectiveness and proved that it will be valuable as a permanent part of the U.S. THE LARGER TREND. healthcare system." Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., this summer.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medicare Public Health Healthcare IT

Physician burnout is at an all-time high, says AMA

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

Reforming Medicare payment. THE LARGER TREND. "Physician shortages, already projected to be severe before COVID, have almost become a public health emergency," he added. Stopping scope creep. Fixing prior authorization burdens. Reducing physician burnout.

EHR

EHR Healthcare IT Public Health Medicare

Osmind EHR integrates Zoom for psychiatry telehealth

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

" THE LARGER TREND. With the COVID-19 pandemic – especially thanks to an expansion of Medicare telehealth benefits during the public health emergency – driving increased use of virtual psychiatric care, many behavioral health providers ventured into telemedicine and onboarded digital telehealth platforms.

Psychiatry

Psychiatry EHR Telehealth Mental health

Massachusetts governor signs law safeguarding telehealth coverage

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JANUARY 4, 2021

Charlie Baker signed into law a wide-ranging bill that includes expanding access to telehealth after the COVID-19 public health emergency abates. At the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency, Baker enacted an emergency order requiring insurers to cover telehealth in order to help ensure provider and patient safety.

Telehealth

Telehealth Medical Billing Mental health Nursing

Australia permits longer telephone consults in COVID-19 hotspots

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 16, 2021

In a statement on Thursday, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the new Medicare items will enable doctors to provide 20 minutes or more of telephone consultations. THE LARGER TREND. In November last year, the federal government announced that telehealth will be a permanent addition to Medicare. WHY IT MATTERS.

Medicare

Medicare Telehealth Mental health Public Health

Connecticut Children's Care Network adds telehealth breastfeeding support

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JANUARY 10, 2023

THE LARGER TREND. Early on in the pandemic, hospital executives saw telemedicine as a way to help close the maternal health gap , providing a number of pregnancy-related services, including lactation support, mental health support and at-home monitoring.

Telehealth

Telehealth Primary Care Mental health Healthcare IT

The Health Care Cost Curve is Bending Down – A New View from Deloitte

Health Populi

FEBRUARY 9, 2021

Current spending on health care in America is roughly $4 trillion (with a “t”) dollars, approaching 20% of the nation’s economy. trillion based on future health trends — not historic workflows and delivery mechanisms which would consume an additional $3.5 By 2040, spending is projected to be $8.3

Primary Care

Primary Care Public Health Interoperability Medicare

HHS watchdog: State oversight needed for behavioral telehealth

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

The agency also noted that 23 out of 37 states reported that fraud, waste and abuse are a concern with using telehealth to provide behavioral health services. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services: Ensure that the three states unable to distinguish telehealth from in-person services implement necessary indicators to do so.

Telehealth

Telehealth Telemedicine Public Health Healthcare IT

How Will the “New” Health Economy Fare in a Macro-Economic Downturn?

Health Populi

OCTOBER 24, 2022

A report from Trilliant on the 2022 Trends Shaping the Health Economy helps to inform our response to that question. Start with Sanjula Jain’s bottom-line: that every health care stakeholder will be impacted by reduced yield. health economy. In the U.S.,

Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceuticals Primary Care Mental health Public Health

Premier lists rule relaxations that should be made permanent, post-pandemic

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 5, 2020

Department of Health and Human Services Premier made the case that some two-dozen federal regulatory waivers – enacted early in the coronavirus pandemic to enable rapid response to COVID-19 – should be made permanent once the public health emergency has ended. THE LARGER TREND. WHY IT MATTERS.

Remote care

Remote care Leadership Telehealth Public Health

Primary care practices identify needed improvements for telemedicine

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MAY 31, 2023

Jumping on a virtual visit was perceived as a benefit for mental health and chronic conditions, as well as a "disparity buster" by some PCP leaders overseeing practices serving Medicaid and Medicare populations. But the telehealth boom during the pandemic proved virtual primary care inspires several value-ads.

Primary Care

Primary Care Telemedicine Telehealth Healthcare IT

Psychiatrists 'pleasantly surprised' with transition to telemedicine

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MAY 13, 2020

Although research supported the efficacy of video telepsychiatry, the National Institute of Mental Health-funded study notes, only 5% of psychiatrists in the Medicare program had ever provided a telemedicine visit. THE LARGER TREND.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine Private practice Mental health HIPAA

Lean Digital: How Apps and Services Can Help Control Weight

Healthcare IT Today

APRIL 29, 2024

A Congressional bill would promote behavioral therapy for obesity and extend Medicare coverage for drugs treating obesity. It comes from a convergence of several trends, according to leading public health and medical investigators. Payers have invested enormous amounts of money in decreasing individuals’ body weights.

Private practice

Private practice Medicare Public Health Patient Experience

Florida provider group to pay $24.5M after False Claims Act allegations

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

APRIL 18, 2022

PPOA is also accused of allegedly submitting or causing the submission of false claims to Medicare by billing for qualitative and quantitative urine drug testing in violation of the physician self-referral law. " THE LARGER TREND. "PPOA denies the allegations in Paragraph II.E and the Civil Actions."

Federal healthcare

Federal healthcare Telemedicine Public Health Healthcare IT

Taking stock of the sudden evolution of telemedicine

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began to allow for reimbursement for videoconferencing between healthcare provider and patient. This trend in remote access to care has expanded widely and is expected to continue. According to CMS.gov , CMS is expanding access to telehealth services with Medicare.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine Telehealth Medicare Nursing

Nurse unions slam Kaiser's advanced care at home strategy

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

THE LARGER TREND. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaiser has shifted more resources and strategy toward expanding beyond a brick-and-mortar health system model. When the public health emergency ends, so too will many telehealth regulatory flexibilities – which has advocates concerned. ON THE RECORD.

Nursing

Nursing Healthcare IT Telehealth Public Health

House extends virtual care flexibilities beyond public health emergency

Connected Health Initiative asks Senate to pass Telehealth Modernization Act

Trending Sources

Bipartisan House bill proposes permanent telehealth benefits

The CONNECT for Health Act is reintroduced, again

From Evolution to Innovation, from Health Care to Health: How Health Plans With Collaborators Are Re-Defining the Industry

U.S. lawmakers reintroduce House bill safeguarding access to telehealth

State Medicaid programs want to keep telehealth expansions, KFF analysis finds

Telemental Healthcare Access Act would repeal in-person service requirements

As 'telehealth cliff' looms, hundreds of healthcare orgs urge Congress to act

OCR will ease restrictions on telehealth tech during COVID-19

Bipartisan House bill would enshrine telehealth rule changes, enable wider use

ATA cheers prospective telehealth extensions, but calls for more

Study of 36.5M people reveals huge jump in pandemic telehealth use

HHS watchdog reiterates importance of preventing telemedicine fraud

Telehealth Reimbursement: End-of-Pandemic Emergency Update

Adelaide virtual care project gets state backing

Hundreds of industry groups call on Congress to advance permanent telehealth reform

Dozens of U.S. legislators push for telehealth coverage expansion

22 states changed telemedicine laws during the pandemic

Nuvance Health develops new memory care-at-home platform

Florida man pleads guilty in scheme exploiting amended telehealth restrictions

Study of 40.7M adults finds telehealth comparable for chronic conditions

AMA & other med groups express 'dismay' at prospect of waivers made permanent

Use of Preventive Health Services Declined Among Commercially Insured People – With Big Differences in Telehealth for Non-White People, Castlight Finds

Congress should include telehealth in year-end funding, say ATA, HIMSS

Health Disparities in America: JAMA Talks Structural Racism in U.S. Health Care

Walmart signals plans to offer telehealth in 16 more states

ATA weighs in on proposed CMS Physician Fee Schedule rule

Bipartisan TIKES Act would improve telehealth access for kids

Physician burnout is at an all-time high, says AMA

Osmind EHR integrates Zoom for psychiatry telehealth

Massachusetts governor signs law safeguarding telehealth coverage

Australia permits longer telephone consults in COVID-19 hotspots

Connecticut Children's Care Network adds telehealth breastfeeding support

The Health Care Cost Curve is Bending Down – A New View from Deloitte

HHS watchdog: State oversight needed for behavioral telehealth

How Will the “New” Health Economy Fare in a Macro-Economic Downturn?

Premier lists rule relaxations that should be made permanent, post-pandemic

Primary care practices identify needed improvements for telemedicine

Psychiatrists 'pleasantly surprised' with transition to telemedicine

Lean Digital: How Apps and Services Can Help Control Weight

Florida provider group to pay $24.5M after False Claims Act allegations

Taking stock of the sudden evolution of telemedicine

Nurse unions slam Kaiser's advanced care at home strategy

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