Kaiser Health News

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

The federal government has penalized 764 hospitals — including more than three dozen it simultaneously rates as among the best in the country — for having the highest numbers of patient infections and potentially avoidable complications. The total amount of the penalties is determined by how much each hospital bills Medicare.

Medicare 123

Medicare Medicare Hospitals COVID-19 123

HIT Consultant

MARCH 8, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic led to sweeping healthcare policy changes that enable vulnerable Americans to receive affordable health coverage and access essential safety net benefits. Most government agencies have disparate legacy eligibility and enrollment systems that do not share data.

Public Health 98

Public Health Medicaid Medicaid Health Insurance 98

HIPAA Journal

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently conducted a review of Medicare telehealth services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a waiver was in place that greatly expanded access to telehealth and virtual visits. Between April and December 2019, 5 million Medicare telehealth visits were conducted.

Medicare 70

Medicare Medicare COVID-19 HIPAA 70

Bill of Health

JULY 15, 2022

Each month, members of the Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL) review the peer-reviewed medical literature to identify interesting empirical studies, policy analyses, and editorials on health law and policy issues. Government Patent Use to Promote Public Health in the United States: Overcoming Nonpatent Exclusivities.

Public Health 205

Public Health Medicare Medicare Governance 205

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MAY 9, 2024

Healthcare providers will be assisted by the Australian Digital Health Agency in meeting this new requirement. From the 2024-25 State Budget, the Western Australian government has allocated A$7.9 Enterprise Taxonomy: Population and Public Health Patient Access Rural and underserved communities Telehealth Workflow Care Process

Public Health 112

Public Health Medicare Medicare Governance 112

Health Law Checkup

JANUARY 20, 2022

CMS has finalized a rule that expands Medicare coverage for telehealth services. This final rule, along with other new rules and waivers by the federal government, state governments and private payors, has significantly expanded access to and coverage of virtual health care services in response to the public health emergency.

Governance 97

Governance Public Health Medicare Medicare 97

Bill of Health

JUNE 26, 2023

have debated whether the government should produce drugs and biologics. Ultimately, the industry was successful in keeping the government away from biologics manufacturing by agreeing to abide by government regulations. By Aparajita Lath For over 100 years, policy makers and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the U.S.

Pharmaceutical Industry 190

Pharmaceutical Industry Governance FDA Public Health 190

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.

Public Health 157

Public Health COVID-19 Medicare Medicare 157

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JANUARY 17, 2022

The Australian government is briefly subsidising some telehealth services as it deals with a new COVID-19 outbreak. These include specialist inpatient video and phone consultation items under the Medicare Benefits Schedule, complex specialist telephone consultations and level C or longer telephone consultations for general practitioners.

COVID-19 190

COVID-19 Governance Public Health Medicare 190

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 2, 2021

It's become common knowledge, at this point, that the flexibilities enabled by the federal government at the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency prompted an atmospheric jump in telehealth use. " The uncertainty about when the public health emergency will lift creates "a lot of anxiety," said Hayes.

COVID-19 210

COVID-19 Public Health Federal Policy Medicare 210

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

APRIL 30, 2021

senators has reintroduced the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021. The act would expand coverage of Medicare telehealth services and make some COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities permanent, among other provisions. Access for Medicare beneficiaries.

COVID-19 213

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Public Health 213

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 124

Medicare Medicare COVID-19 Doctors 124

Bill of Health

DECEMBER 6, 2023

By Hannah Rahim Many mental health provider directories for private and public insurance plans contain inaccurate or outdated provider information , which creates a misleading illusion of accessible care. These ghost networks result in many patients being unable to access essential mental health care.

Governance 144

Governance Medicaid Medicaid Medicare 144

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

MAY 30, 2023

The COVID-19 public health emergency came to an end on May 11. This change is yet another signal that the country is working to move past the pandemic, which falls in line with recent moves by the federal government to move the pandemic to a more controlled phase. What does the end of the PHE mean for the future of telemedicine?

Telemedicine 180

Telemedicine COVID-19 Governance Medicare 180

Health Care Law Brief

JUNE 2, 2022

The onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency (“PHE”) led to a surge in the use of telehealth by health care providers. Do these encounters comport with telehealth encounter requirements set forth by applicable state laws, or government or private payor requirements? How is this disclosed to consumers?

Public Health 52

Public Health Compliance COVID-19 Licensing 52

The Digital Health Corner

NOVEMBER 28, 2016

Digital health technology has seen an incredible growth in the last few years, fueled by a combination of consumerization of wearable technologies, ubiquity of mobile devices, proliferation of technology incubators, attention by government health and regulatory agencies and involvement of large companies heretofore not focused on healthcare.

Public Health 68

Public Health Health Services Administration Patient Advocacy Governance 68

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. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Meanwhile, U.S. Butterfield, D-N.C., and Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., ON THE RECORD.

US Department of Health and Human Services 195

US Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Telemedicine Medicare 195

Healthcare It News

OCTOBER 25, 2022

With those flexibilities due to sunset 151 days after the federal Public Health Emergency expires, HIMSS is calling on its members to contact their senators and representatives and urge them to extend coverage of telehealth services under Medicare until at least December 31, 2024.

COVID-19 219

COVID-19 Medicaid Medicaid Public Health 219

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JUNE 8, 2022

The Department of Health and Human Services once again (for the ninth time) extended the public health emergency this past month , stretching it beyond mid-July. But sooner or later, that provision of the Public Health Service Act will draw to a close. State government executive orders. PTs, OTs, and SLPs).

US Department of Health and Human Services 174

US Department of Health and Human Services Compliance Overpayments Overpayment 174

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.

COVID-19 126

COVID-19 Medicare Medicare Public Health 126

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JANUARY 11, 2023

Guth also said that Medicaid program respondents also indicated that they are awaiting federal guidance to inform their long-term telehealth policy decisions, such as Medicare policies. KFF noted that the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act legislation requires the federal government to issue telehealth guidance by the end of 2023.

Medicaid 134

Medicaid Medicaid Medicare Medicare 134

Health Populi

APRIL 16, 2024

Presidential elections to that point, and that the last retiring Baby Boomer enrolls in Medicare that year. Let’s take a walk with “Quincy” through each of the four worlds to see how their health care experience might play out across the key driving forces. Telehealth happens across the U.S.

Public Health 73

Public Health Governance Medicare Medicare 73

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 16, 2021

The Australian government has made available two new subsidised telephone consult services for patients living in COVID-19 hotspot areas. 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. WHY IT MATTERS. ON THE RECORD.

COVID-19 81

COVID-19 Governance Doctors Medicare 81

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 23, 2020

Wolf also pointed out that the recent bloom in telehealth is rooted, in part, in the government's electronic health record incentive program and meaningful use. She also pointed out that many state governments have also been in limbo waiting for the federal government to take action. " she said.

COVID-19 174

COVID-19 Electronic Medical Records Medicare Medicare 174

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

OCTOBER 27, 2020

The government has signaled its support for reimbursing some telehealth services, at least in the short term. "The government can play a very positive role in telehealth by establishing clear standards and clear reimbursement guidelines," said Selesnick.

COVID-19 188

COVID-19 Governance Medicare Medicare 188

Healthcare IT Today

JULY 23, 2023

News and Studies The 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule from CMS would continue many of the public health emergency telehealth flexibilities, such as an expanded definition of telehealth practitioners, continued payments to rural health centers and FQHCs, and the expansion of originating sites.

Medicare 78

Medicare Medicare Telemedicine Public Health 78

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. WHY IT MATTERS.

COVID-19 184

COVID-19 Public Health Nurses Medicare 184

Healthcare Law Today

JANUARY 11, 2023

The government alleged that, between April 2014 and April 2019, Jet Medical introduced devices into interstate commerce that were misbranded under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) because Jet Medical did not obtain approval or clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prior to distribution.

FDA 59

FDA Governance Medicare Medicare 59

Provider Trust

JANUARY 25, 2024

Ensuring the Financial Integrity of HHS Programs In fiscal year (FY) 2022, improper payments within healthcare programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) were estimated at a staggering $131.6 With Medicaid, the challenges are equally formidable.

Fraud 52

Fraud Medicaid Medicaid Medicare 52

Healthcare Law Blog

MAY 16, 2022

On April 29, 2022 , the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), issued the final rule on Contract Year 2023 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs (the “Final Rule”). With a few exceptions, the Final Rule is a wholesale codification of the proposed rule.

Medicare 52

Medicare Medicare Medicaid Medicaid 52

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

JULY 21, 2022

Monash Health pilots virtual clinic for blood pressure management. Monash Health, a public health service in Victoria, has piloted its pharmacist-led virtual clinic for managing the blood pressure of patients with chronic diseases. Yarram District Health Service adopts Global Health's EMR, patient engagement tools.

COVID-19 110

COVID-19 Community Health Services Medicare Medicare 110

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

OCTOBER 2, 2020

Pediatric health systems issued statements in support of the legislation, saying that it creates an opportunity for the federal government to provide more clarity to states regarding telehealth expansion. Lawrence Moss, president and CEO of Nemours Children’s Health System, in a statement. WHY IT MATTERS. this summer.

US Department of Health and Human Services 144

US Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Medicaid Medicaid 144

Health Populi

JUNE 18, 2021

Health Populi’s Hot Points: U.S. workers with private insurance more likely report poor access to health care, greater costs of care, and lower satisfaction with care versus people covered by public health insurance plans — whether Medicaid, Medicare, VHA or military coverage. One-half of U.S.

ACA 133

ACA Health Insurance Medicaid Medicaid 133

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

AUGUST 5, 2020

In March, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released new guidance regarding remote patient monitoring. For the duration of the public health emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, RPM services can be provided to both new and established patients, said the agency.

COVID-19 172

COVID-19 Medicaid Medicaid Public Health 172

Healthcare IT Today

OCTOBER 18, 2023

Data can be spotty, according to Eye, who says for instance that data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) often lacks racial identifications. According to vice president Ted Hill, it can modernize how public health agencies serve today’s needs. Casetivity can ingest, standardize, and share health data.

Doctors 117

Doctors Public Health Medicare Medicare 117

Healthcare Law Blog

JANUARY 26, 2023

BACKGROUND The Proposed Rule is the latest in a long line of federal legislation and rulemakings governing the conscience rights of healthcare providers and entities. The Church Amendments In the 1970s, the federal government enacted the Church Amendments, 42 U.S.C.

ACA 105

ACA Medicaid Medicaid Compliance 105

HIT Consultant

DECEMBER 15, 2022

By aggregating and standardizing data from a wide array of sources – claims, electronic health records , demographics, and more – healthcare data ecosystems deliver the ability to accelerate innovation in medical research, drug development, and public health. The broader context of healthcare data ecosystems.

Governance 98

Governance Medicaid Medicaid Public Health 98