Tag: Telehealth Services

Telehealth use in Medicare increased 63-fold last year with behavioural health increasing the most

Telehealth use in Medicare increased 63-fold last year with behavioural health increasing the most

The number of beneficiaries in traditional Medicare using telehealth exploded 63-fold in 2020 from 840,000 in 2019 to nearly 52.7 million, a new study found. The study, released Friday (PDF) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), comes as advocates are pressing to make key flexibilities the federal government enabled at the start […]
CMS Releases 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

CMS Releases 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized 2022 payments and policies under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The rule includes updates to payment rates for physicians and other healthcare professionals for calendar year (CY) 2022; expands the use of telehealth for mental health; clarifies policies related to split (shared) visits, critical […]
Direct-to-Consumer Telehealth Platforms Lag Behind Competition

Direct-to-Consumer Telehealth Platforms Lag Behind Competition

  The pandemic has changed patients’ use and perceptions of healthcare organizations. The question remains: Will those changes here to stay? PATIENTS PREFER TELEHEALTH SERVICES FROM DOCTORS, HEALTH PLANS Most telehealth users accessed virtual care services through their regular doctor or health plan as opposed to direct-to-consumer telehealth platforms, according to new data from Morning […]
CMS Releases Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

CMS Releases Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

  CMS says it the goal is to support health equity while focusing on high-quality person-centered care. Increased leverage of telehealth for behavioral care, diabetes prevention and mitigation, and enhanced payment for vaccine administration were three out of many priorities cited by federal officials who announced the release of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid […]
AHA Pens Oppositions to 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule

AHA Pens Oppositions to 2022 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule

The organization is concerned about policies in the 2022 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule, ranging from telehealth worries to apprehension about MIPS. The AHA agreed with certain aspects of the rule but also voiced various problems and recommendations for CMS to consider. The AHA opposed several telehealth policies that CMS included in the rule. The […]
E_M Coding for 2021_ What’s New and Different

E/M Coding for 2021: What’s New and Different

After three years of policy proposals, the American Medical Association Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) panel responses, and substantial guidance from gastroenterology and other specialty societies, changes to the office/outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) codes became effective as of January 2021. Some aspects of these revisions took effect for telehealth services since spring 2020 for Medicare, […]
Digital Health in 2021_ 5 Strategies to Transform Care & Conquer Adoption Barriers

Digital Health in 2021: 5 Strategies to Transform Care & Conquer Adoption Barriers

The uptake of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on the use of digital technologies in healthcare. Telehealth platforms have connected patients and clinicians remotely, but telehealth’s growth has obscured a broader movement that had already been underway for some time:  the use of digital health to transform care. Advances in […]