Tag archives: telehealth services

CMS Administrator Publishes Blog Post on Expansion of Medicare Telehealth Services

By Thomas Dowdell (US), Jeff Wurzburg (US) and Rachel Park (US) on July 17, 2020 Posted in Coronavirus, General, Regulatory

On Wednesday, July 15, 2020, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Seema Verma, published a blog post on the Health Affairs Blog discussing CMS’ efforts to expand telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic and reviewing the potential of adopting some flexibilities as permanent measures. Historically Medicare has covered telehealth … Continue reading

CMS Issues Second Round of Regulatory Waivers and Rule Changes

By Thomas Dowdell (US), Mark Faccenda (US), Rachel Park (US) and Jeff Wurzburg (US) on April 30, 2020 Posted in Coronavirus, General, Regulatory

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an additional round of regulatory waivers and rule changes to support the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes include new rules to expand COVID-19 diagnostic testing, increase care capacity and the healthcare workforce, and further promote telehealth services. Medicare no longer requires an … Continue reading

COVID-19 Update: Phase Three Stimulus Legislation Stalls on Sunday Afternoon

By Thomas Dowdell (US) and Rachel Park (US) on March 22, 2020 Posted in Coronavirus, General, News from DC

The Phase Three Senate Republican stimulus legislation released Sunday afternoon (March 22), H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), would provide aid for small businesses, industries and families impacted by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, including direct cash payments for Americans, as well as $75 billion for coronavirus response payments to … Continue reading

COVID-19 Update: Trump administration expands access to telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries to combat COVID-19

By Yvonne Puig (US), Daphne Calderon (US), Thomas Dowdell (US), Jeff Wurzburg (US) and Hayley White (US) on March 17, 2020 Posted in Coronavirus, General, Regulatory

On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the Trump administration announced that it will immediately expand access to telehealth services for all Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 outbreak. In coordination with this announcement, the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released a notification stating that HHS has temporarily suspended certain … Continue reading

COVID-19 Update: Telehealth flexibility and CMS Provides Additional Information

By Yvonne Puig (US), Daphne Calderon (US) and Jeff Wurzburg (US) on March 9, 2020 Posted in Coronavirus, General

On Sunday, March 8, 2020, the known cases of coronavirus in the United States surpassed 500. Cases have been identified in more than 30 states and the District of Columbia. Worldwide there are 109,835 confirmed cases, resulting in 3,803 deaths. Eight states have declared states of emergency: Washington, Florida, California, New York, Kentucky, Maryland, Utah, … Continue reading

CMS Releases Final Rule on CY 2020 Physician Fee Schedule Updates and Implements Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Programs

By Jeff Wurzburg (US), Thomas Dowdell (US) and Mark Faccenda (US) on November 12, 2019 Posted in Enforcement, News from DC, Regulatory

On November 1, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that updates the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) rates and policies for calendar year (CY) 2020 and expands Medicare coverage to opioid treatment programs (OTPs) that treat beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). In a fact sheet accompanying the … Continue reading

OIG considers new safe harbors and other incentives to promote coordinated care

By Elise LeGros (US) on September 5, 2018 Posted in Regulatory

As part of the Health and Human Services Department’s (“HHS”) “Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care” efforts aimed at alleviating unnecessary regulatory barriers to coordinated care while protecting against fraud and abuse, the Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a Request for Information (“RFI”) on August 27, 2018, requesting public input on the following items: Care … Continue reading

Ambulance and telehealth services among 14 new inquiries announced by HHS OIG

By Benjamin Wallfisch (US) on July 19, 2017 Posted in Enforcement

On Monday, July 17, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced 14 new inquiries into potentially fraudulent billing of Medicare and Medicaid. The OIG announcement is part of a new policy to update its investigative Work Plan every month rather than once or twice per year. The … Continue reading