Ramona Midkiff

Source: Healthcare Finance

By: Susan Morse, Executive Editor

From broadened access to care to removing geographic and originating-site restrictions, the AMA wants flexibilities to be made permanent.

The House passed a bill Wednesday that extends telehealth flexibilities under Medicare that were initially authorized during the public health emergency of COVID-19.

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 4040, Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act of 2022. It now moves to the Senate for approval.

The American Medical Association applauded the House’s passage of the bill, which keeps telehealth flexibilities through 2024.

The bill would allow federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site, that is, the location of the healthcare practitioner; it would allow beneficiaries to receive telehealth services at any site, regardless of type or location; it would allow any type of practitioner to furnish telehealth services, subject to approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and it would continue coverage for audio-only evaluation and management and behavioral health services.

WHY THIS MATTERS

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services allowed these flexibilities during the public health emergency to allow patients to receive care virtually when they were unable to get care in-person.

Click here to continue reading

Source: mHealth Intelligence

Researchers found that using telehealth to consult with pediatric infectious disease specialists can lead to a 32 percent decrease in antibiotic use in nurseries.

July 18, 2022 – Researchers found that using telehealth to conduct consultations with a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio helped reduce the need for antibiotic use among newborns in nurseries across South Texas.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio includes five professional schools and 7,200 employees. Its clinical practice comprises more than 2 million patient visits yearly.

As telehealth use skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have kept track of its effect on treatment and the extent to which patients benefit.

Keeping antibiotic use among newborn babies in check is important because the medications may have unwanted side effects, such as killing healthy bacteria that babies need to combat various issues, like gut problems and asthma.

“With unnecessary or prolonged antibiotics, the normal, healthy bacteria of babies is disrupted,” said pediatrician Joseph Cantey, MD, first author and consulting specialist for the study from UT Health San Antonio, in a press release. “Ten to 15 years ago, we treated all babies with the slightest risk of infection just to be safe. Then we started to understand the protection afforded by these normal bacteria. Now we are trying to be much more select with who needs to be exposed to antibiotics. Even a couple of doses at birth matter.”

Click here to continue reading…

Source: CMS.gov – Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Medicare Parts A & B

On July 7, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that announces and solicits public comments on proposed policy changes for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and other Medicare Part B issues, effective on or after January 1, 2023.

The calendar year (CY) 2023 PFS proposed rule is one of several proposed rules that reflect a broader Administration-wide strategy to create a more equitable health care system that results in better accessibility, quality, affordability, and innovation.

Background on the Physician Fee Schedule

Since 1992, Medicare payment has been made under the PFS for the services of physicians and other billing professionals. Physicians’ services paid under the PFS are furnished in a variety of settings, including physician offices, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), skilled nursing facilities and other post-acute care settings, hospices, outpatient dialysis facilities, clinical laboratories, and beneficiaries’ homes. Payment is also made to several types of suppliers for technical services, most often in settings for which no institutional payment is made.

Click here to continue reading…

Source: HealthCareExecIntelligence

Despite numerous bills to solidify telehealth flexibilities enacted during the pandemic, none have passed in Congress, leaving the future of telehealth access and adoption uncertain.

June 20, 2022 – The significant spike in the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic was made possible by numerous legislative waivers that were quickly enacted as in-person care stalled. Two years later, many of those flexibilities are still intact, but their future is unclear.

Listen to the full podcast to hear more details. And don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. 

Three telehealth legislation experts — Jacob Harper, an associate with law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Christa Natoli, executive director of the Center for Telehealth and E-Health Law (CTeL), and Ben Steinhafel, policy director of CTeL — discussed the current regulatory landscape for telehealth at the federal and state levels on the Healthcare Strategies podcast.

At the federal level, several bills have been introduced to make permanent or extend flexibilities enacted during the pandemic, including the CONNECT for Health Act and Telehealth Extension Act. One of the key provisions in these bills is eliminating geographic restrictions on originating sites for telehealth services.

But none of these bills have passed yet, though Congress did extend telehealth waivers for Medicare beneficiaries for at least five months after the public health emergency officially expires.

Click here to read more…

Source: mHealthIntellience
By Anuja Vaidya

The guidance aims to answer common questions about providing audio-only telehealth services in compliance with HIPAA privacy and security regulations.

June 13, 2022 – The HIPAA Security Rule does not apply to care provided through traditional telephone lines but does apply to mobile technologies that leverage electronic media like WiFi, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) clarified in a new guidance.

HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released the guidance, which details how covered healthcare providers and health plans can provide audio-only telehealth services within the bounds of HIPAA.

HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, led to the creation of national standards to protect patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.
In April 2020, OCR issued a notification of enforcement discretion for telehealth amid the rapidly growing COVID-19 public health crisis.

The notification stated that OCR would not impose penalties for HIPAA noncompliance on covered healthcare providers “in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency.”

Specifically, OCR said it would not penalize covered entities for using non-public facing remote products to communicate with patients, even when the technology and its use do not fully comply with HIPAA rules.

Click here to continue reading…

BAMBERG, SC—The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Connected Care Pilot Program will
award $7,199,892 over three years to Palmetto State Providers Network, a consortium of health care providers led by Palmetto Care Connections (PCC), a statewide, non-profit telehealth network. “The last few years have made it abundantly clear that expanding telehealth programs to every corner of our state is of the utmost importance in advancing our public health missions,” said Governor Henry McMaster. “This funding will have an immediate impact on expanding access, quality, and affordability of health care statewide and will help bring us closer to providing immediate health care access to the fingertips of all South Carolinians.”

“This FCC funding represents the largest Connected Care Pilot Program award in South Carolina, and the second largest single Connected Care Pilot Program award in the nation,” said Chairman of the PCC Board of Directors Rick Foster, MD. “We congratulate Palmetto Care Connections and the health care consortium members on this extraordinary award and look forward to the positive impact that this pilot telehealth program will have on the health of underserved South Carolinians.”

“Palmetto Care Connections is delighted to receive this FCC Connected Care Pilot Program award on
behalf of six of our state’s health care provider broadband consortium members,” said PCC Chief Executive Officer Kathy Schwarting. “Our goal is that this pilot program will become a model for implementing remote patient monitoring and synchronous telehealth to improve the health and quality of life for underserved residents throughout the state.”

The funding will enable five Federally Qualified Health Centers and one hospital system to provide broadband internet access services, remote patient monitoring, and video consults to 5,000 primarily low-income South Carolinians suffering from chronic conditions and infectious diseases. In addition, the funding will provide health care provider broadband data connections, a connected care telehealth platform and data analytics to facilitate synchronous telehealth services for an estimated 18,000 patients in 13 counties, an overall average of 80 percent of which are low-income.

The consortium members that participated in the funding request are Federally Qualified Health
Centers – CareSouth Carolina, Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center, Little River Medical Center, Rural Health Services, and Tandem Health; and hospital system – Tidelands Health.

The counties that are in the health care organizations’ service areas to be impacted by the pilot
program are Aiken, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Fairfield, Georgetown, Horry, Lee, Lexington, Marlboro, Newberry, Richland, and Sumter.

PCC’s telehealth pilot program is one of 107 projects serving patients in 40 states plus Washington, D.C. that was selected by the FCC for Connected Care Pilot Program funding.

Established in 2010, PCC is a non-profit organization that provides technology, broadband, and
telehealth support services to health care providers in rural and underserved areas in S.C. PCC co-chairs the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance, along with the Medical University of South Carolina, serving as an advocate for rural providers and partnering with organizations to improve health care access and delivery for all South Carolinians. PCC’s Digital Inclusion Program provides a digital device, digital literacy training and assistance with obtaining low-cost internet service for residents of rural and underserved S.C. communities.

PCC Chief Executive Officer Kathy Schwarting received South Carolina’s 2021 Community Star award
presented by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health for her leadership as a champion for rural health care and broadband access. The National Cooperative of Health Networks Association named Palmetto Care Connections as the 2021 Outstanding Health Network of the Year.

Source by:  Healthcare Finance

Written by:  Jeff Lagasse, Editor

The draft suggests removing Medicare’s in-person visit requirement, protecting audio-only telehealth and supporting provider use.

The Senate Finance Committee, led by Chair Ron Wyden (D.Ore.), is seeking to make permanent some of the telehealth flexibilities enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic that pertain to mental health services.

In what the committee calls a mental health “bill of rights,” Wyden and ranking committee member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), along with Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), released a discussion draft for telehealth policies that suggests, among other things, removing Medicare’s in-person visit requirement and codifying audio-only mental health coverage.

Wyden said via statement that the policies outlined in the draft “will help strengthen access, awareness and support for telehealth.”

Aside from nixing Medicare’s in-person visit requirement, the committee’s proposed policies include establishing benefit transparency for mental health services delivered via telehealth, to inform Americans with Medicare how and when they can access such services.

The committee also recommended directing Medicare and Medicaid to promote and support provider use of telehealth; and incentivizing states to use their CHIP programs to establish local solutions to serve behavioral health needs in schools, including through telehealth.

The telehealth discussion draft is the first legislative draft released by the committee since it began its larger mental healthcare initiative. Other discussion drafts may be released prior to a committee markup.

The committee said it’s committed to fully paying for any mental health package with bipartisan, consensus-driven offsets. Earlier this year, the committee announced five areas of focus for addressing shortfalls in mental healthcare: workforce, care integration, mental health parity, telehealth and youth.

Click here to continue reading…

One aspect of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 that isn’t discussed as much as the digital equity and broadband money is the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) formalized definition of “digital discrimination.” The FCC is set to create rules to prevent and penalize digital discrimination and promote equal access to broadband across the country, regardless of income level, ethnicity, race, religion, or national origin. The IIJA requires the FCC to create and adopt these rules by November 2023.

The FCC kickstarted the rulemaking process on March 17, 2022 when they released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking comment on how to implement the digital discrimination section (Section 60506) of the Infrastructure Act. Comments were due yesterday, May 16, 2022. The FCC will accept replies to the comments submitted yesterday until June 30, 2022 and later will release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) at which they’ll request more comments from the public on how the rules should be constructed and implemented.

Click here to continue reading…

BAMBERG, SC—Palmetto Care Connections (PCC), Southeastern Housing and Community
Development and Clemson Rural Health partnered to host a Telehealth Kick-Off Community Event at the
Bamberg Villas housing development at 40 Hawk Court in Bamberg on Thursday, May 19 from 12:00 p.m. to
4:00 p.m.

The event included telehealth demonstrations provided by PCC, health screenings provided by
Clemson Rural Health, health education, digital literacy education, distribution of Food Share boxes, exhibits
by local health care providers and community resources, DJ, free food, treats for kids and gift card drawings.

“Palmetto Care Connections has installed telehealth equipment in the Bamberg Villas office so that
their residents and surrounding neighborhoods can access their health care providers virtually using
telehealth,” said PCC Chief Executive Officer Kathy Schwarting, “It’s kind of like a modern version of the old
days when doctors would make house calls.”

“I believe this is the first collaboration of its kind in the state and the first time that a telehealth access
site has been established in an affordable housing development in South Carolina,” said Schwarting.

Schwarting added, “We want to help people connect to their existing health care providers as much as
possible, but if their provider doesn’t offer telehealth or if they don’t have a primary care provider, Clemson
Rural Health has agreed to provide virtual care.” Schwarting said that the cost of a telehealth consult is similar
to an in-person doctor’s office visit and a patient’s health insurance company will be billed for telehealth care.

Clemson University Professor and Director of Clemson Rural Health Dr. Ron Gimbel said, “Clemson
Rural Health is thrilled to be a part of increasing access to health care at Bamberg Villas for residents and
neighbors. The integration of patient-centered care for under-served populations with innovative solutions
makes this an ideal partnership to fulfill our mission to promote prevention and healthy behaviors.”

Southeastern Housing and Community Development Executive Director Robert Thomas said, “We are
a nonprofit organization that fosters self-sufficiency and community development by providing housing,
social and economic opportunities for individuals and families. By engaging a holistic approach to
community transformation, we create possibilities for lasting change. We believe that telehealth can
make a positive impact on the health of our communities.”

Thomas said that initially telehealth services will be available at the Bamberg Villas office on
Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. He said that plans call for offering more
telehealth opportunities in the future.

S.C. Representative Justin Bamberg attended the event. “This Telehealth Kick Off has been very
positive, informative and it is very needed. People need to know what their options are – especially in
rural areas like Bamberg. This was very well received by members of the community. Thank you,
Palmetto Care Connections, Southeastern Housing and Community Development and Clemson Rural
Health for collaborating to bring telehealth to Bamberg Villas. Telehealth is the future for rural South
Carolina.”

Bamberg Villa resident Tynesha Garrick said, “Telehealth is a great way to see your doctor. My
baby had a liver transplant in 2020 and she has to go to the doctor in Charleston. With telehealth we
won’t have to travel so far for all her appointments.”
Her friend Lapaicha Banks agreed. “I have to walk a long way to get to my doctor’s office from
here. This will be good for me too.”

Exhibitors included: Absolute Total Care; Bamberg County Department of Social Services; Bamberg
Family Practice; Bamberg Job Corps; Bamberg Legal; Clemson Rural Health; Dominion Energy; Ehrhardt
Pharmacy; Family Health Centers; Family Solutions; Financial Resource Center; FoodShare Bamberg; Hope
Health; Humana; Low Country Health Care System; Palmetto Care Connections; Regional Medical Center;
Saltcatcher Farms; Save the Children; SC Housing Authority #3; SC Thrive; Select Health; Southeastern
Housing and Community Development; and Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

Established in 2010, PCC is a non-profit organization that provides technology, broadband, and
telehealth support services to health care providers in rural and underserved areas in S.C. PCC co-chairs the
South Carolina Telehealth Alliance, along with the Medical University of South Carolina, serving as an
advocate for rural providers and partnering with organizations to improve health care access and delivery for
all South Carolinians. PCC’s Digital Inclusion Program provides a digital device, digital literacy training and
assistance with obtaining low-cost internet service for residents of rural and underserved S.C. communities.

PCC Chief Executive Officer Kathy Schwarting received South Carolina’s 2021 Community Star award
presented by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health for her leadership as a champion for
rural health care and broadband access. The National Cooperative of Health Networks Association named
Palmetto Care Connections as the 2021 Outstanding Health Network of the Year.

UnitedHealthcare has partnered with Kaia Health on a new virtual physical therapy program.

The program aims to offer 24/7, on-demand exercise feedback to eligible members with musculoskeletal conditions, the health insurance giant said. Members who are recovering from surgery or an injury will be asked to complete an assessment of current issues and will be referred to the program based on that assessment.

Eligible members will then be able to download Kaia’s app to access its physical therapy tools, which use artificial intelligence to support patients through physical therapy exercise and monitor progress.

The app tracks motion in real time to offer suggestions using the mobile phone’s camera rather than a wearable device. In combination with self-reported data from the user, the app can identify when a member may need additional coaching or intervention to ensure they’re meeting their physical therapy goals.

Click here to continue reading…