...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
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a new category of digital health services—Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM)—to complement the existing suite of Remote Physiological Monitoring (RPM) codes...more
Florida’s telehealth emergency waivers ended on June 26, 2021, after Governor Ron DeSantis’ Office allowed the waivers to expire. The waivers were originally contained in Emergency Orders 20-002 and 20-003. On July 1, 2021,...more
With 2020 officially behind us, what does 2021 have in store for telemedicine and digital health policy? A year ago, our team predicted 2020 would bring “notable expansions in Medicare and Medicaid coverage” and “the...more
1/12/2021
/ American Telemedicine Association ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Health ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act) ,
Reimbursements ,
Telehealth ,
Waivers
On December 4, 2020, the IRS released a new private ruling (PLR 202049002), holding that a physician-owned medical services professional corporation (PC) could be included in a consolidated tax return filing along with the...more
On December 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized new policies related to remote patient monitoring aka remote physiologic monitoring or “RPM,” reimbursed under the Medicare program. The...more
12/7/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Final Rules ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Physician Medicare Reimbursements ,
Physicians ,
Telehealth
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just released its 2021 Final Rule (Physician Fee Schedule), with telehealth policy changes and a list of new services covered under Medicare. Actions taken by CMS during...more
12/3/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Final Rules ,
HCPCS ,
Medicare ,
Mental Health ,
Nursing Homes ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Reimbursements ,
Secretary of HHS ,
Telehealth
...Our prior article discussed federal law barriers to entry for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder (SUD), and specifically, opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, and highlighted notable opportunities to use...more
On August 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a number of clarifications and proposals on remote patient monitoring (RPM) services reimbursed under the Medicare program. The changes, part of...more
...As COVID-19 cases spread across the U.S., another public health issue continues to escalate: the rise of opioid-related overdose deaths. For patients with a substance use disorder (SUD), the pandemic has increased feelings...more
8/4/2020
/ Controlled Substances Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) ,
Opioid ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Ryan Haight Act ,
SAMHSA ,
Social Security Act ,
Substance Abuse ,
Telehealth
On August 3, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the advance copy of its proposed 2021 Physician Fee Schedule rule, which contains new telehealth services covered under Medicare. Compared to...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has introduced a new crop of temporary regulatory flexibilities in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) in the form of new blanket waivers, implementing...more
On the evening of March 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule (IFC) introducing a new crop of temporary regulatory waivers and new rules to equip the American health care...more
On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) into law. The CARES Act contains several provisions affecting healthcare benefits and the expansion of...more
With the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the looming possibility of large scale isolations and quarantines, lawmakers continue to demonstrate willingness to expand access to telehealth to combat...more
3/21/2020
/ Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Ryan Haight Act ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
Over the last week, the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has spread to nearly all 50 states, with the number of confirmed cases changing by the minute. Federal, state, and local officials are evaluating options...more
The recent coronavirus outbreak is gaining world attention as it spreads, with increasing focus on outbreaks and containment efforts throughout the United States. On March 6, 2020, President Trump signed into law an emergency...more
Last week, CMS proposed two significant changes to remote patient monitoring (RPM) services reimbursed under the Medicare program. The changes, part of the proposed 2020 Physician Fee Schedule, have been hotly anticipated by...more
On April 29, 2019, the Florida State Legislature passed HB 23, a law providing additional guidelines on the use of telehealth in the Sunshine State. The bill is now on its way to Governor DeSantis’ desk where he is expected...more
Kentucky health care providers and patients will soon enjoy a revamped, and significantly improved, telehealth commercial insurance coverage law. Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin signed SB 112 into law on April 26, 2018, imposing...more
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds recently signed a new bill into law requiring commercial health insurers in the Hawkeye State to cover health care services provided via telehealth to the same extent those services are covered via...more
It seems the efforts of telemedicine advocates to change federal law and allow greater prescribing of controlled substances are no longer falling on deaf ears. Congress just released a pair of draft discussion bills to amend...more
On January 22, 2018, the Georgia House of Representatives adopted a Resolution recognizing telehealth as an important tool to improving access to health care in Georgia. One week later, the Georgia Senate recognized January...more
The telemedicine industry has been abuzz upon learning that provider-friendly legislation was included in the new federal Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, signed into law by the President on February 9, 2018. But telehealth...more
2/16/2018
/ ACOs ,
Bi-Partison Balanced Budget Act (BBA) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Medical Reimbursement ,
Medicare ,
New Legislation ,
Physicians ,
Reimbursements ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
Alaska’s Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development has finalized new regulations to create a special Telemedicine Business Registry for health care providers delivering telemedicine services in the Frontier...more