On November 22, 2023, while many were preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) posted a consumer alert (Alert) warning the public about a fraud scheme involving monthly billing for remote...more
11/29/2023
/ Criminal Investigations ,
Durable Medical Equipment ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Fraud ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
On November 2, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized new policies related to remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) and remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) services reimbursed under the Medicare...more
11/9/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Data Collection ,
Final Rules ,
FQHC ,
Health Technology ,
Medical Billing Codes ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Shared Savings Program ,
Physical Therapists ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Reimbursements ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Telemedicine
On October 6, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a second temporary rule extending the COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications. This second extension, issued...more
On July 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its annual Proposed Rule updating the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) for calendar year (CY) 2024, which includes various proposed changes related...more
8/25/2023
/ ACOs ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Chronic Care Managment (CCM) ,
Data Collection ,
FQHC ,
HCPCS ,
Medicare ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Shareholders ,
Transitional Care Management
Sophisticated clinical software systems employed in specific health care services have graduated from being interfaces, operating systems, and subordinate tools that support physical medical devices and have matured to the...more
At long last, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has signaled its consideration of a separate Special Registration for telemedicine prescribing for patients without requiring an in-person examination.
On August 4,...more
Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs) are clinical trials where some or all trial-related activities occur at locations other than traditional clinical trial sites, such as via telemedicine or in a clinical trial participant’s...more
On May 10, 2023, the Missouri legislature passed a bill restricting access to gender affirming care for individuals under the age of 18. The bill is now headed to Governor Parson’s desk for signature...more
On May 10, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) released a new regulation – “Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications” – temporarily extending the “full set” of...more
On May 4, 2023, SB 254 passed the Florida Senate by a safe majority vote of 83 to 28 and is now on Governor DeSantis’s desk for approval. Once signed (expected shortly) , this law will take immediate effect and disrupt the...more
On May 4, 2023, the Florida Legislature passed HB 387 expanding the use of telehealth for medical marijuana recertification. Once signed by Florida Governor, Ron Desantis, the new law will become effective July 1,...more
On May 2, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released Draft Guidance regarding the implementation of Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs) for drugs, biological products, and devices. DCTs are clinical trials...more
On March 1, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officially published proposed rules for prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expires. The DEA gave the public a 30...more
Medicare telehealth post-Public Health Emergency (PHE): With the COVID-19 PHE concluding on May 11, 2023, many of the telehealth flexibilities the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented during the PHE will...more
3/30/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Controlled Substances ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Digital Health ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medicare Administrative Contractors (MAC) ,
Opioid ,
PHI ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Substance Abuse ,
Telemedicine
On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced its intent to end the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023.
The PHE has been in place for over three years during which time many telehealth and...more
2/8/2023
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medicare ,
OCR ,
OIG ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Ryan Haight Act ,
Telehealth
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (2023 CAA) further extends the HSA safe harbor allowing high deductible health plans (HDHPs) to offer first dollar coverage of telehealth services without ruining HDHP members’...more
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) rule. As finalized, some of the most significant telehealth policy changes include: ...more
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized new policies related to remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) services reimbursed under the Medicare program.
The changes, part of the...more
On July 7, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) rule. The rule, if enacted as proposed, will:
Create three new permanent telehealth...more
7/14/2022
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Social Security Act ,
Substance Abuse ,
Telehealth ,
Waivers
On July 7, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed five new changes to Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) services under the Medicare program. The changes, part of the proposed 2023 Medicare...more
In what feels like an instant, telemedicine has gone from an emerging niche to a must-have. The pandemic created an opportunity for telemedicine providers to grow — rapidly — giving even more reason for venture capital and...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (the Act), was passed by the U.S. House and Senate on March 9th and 10th, 2022, and signed into law by the President on March 15, 2022. The Act extends certain telehealth...more
3/17/2022
/ CARES Act ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
HDHP ,
HSA ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
MedPAC ,
Mental Health ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Rural Health Care Program ,
Telehealth
What is the Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act?
The Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act would establish a two-year extension for certain COVID-19 emergency telehealth waivers. The legislation aims to extend the...more
2/15/2022
/ Beneficiaries ,
CARES Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Extensions ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Ryan Haight Act ,
State Legislatures ,
Telehealth ,
Waivers
Continuing the trend of expanded Medicare reimbursement for remote monitoring, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule final rule on its new Remote Therapeutic Monitoring...more
...On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an advance copy of the calendar year (CY) 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed payment rule, to be published on July 23, 2021....more