CMS posted an expanded set, dated April 29, of Medicare regulatory flexibility measures for hospice organizations related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, supplementing the previous COVID hospice flexibilities guidance...more
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a far-reaching interim final rule (IFR) to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on March 30. The IFR represents a comprehensive set of policy changes...more
On March 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a stunning and far-reaching interim final rule to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The rule is a comprehensive set of policy changes designed...more
As we noted in our previous Health Law Scan blog CMS Issues Program Instructions for Medicare Telehealth Waiver, CMS issued program instructions on March 17 to implement the Medicare telehealth waiver in response to the...more
3/20/2020
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Facebook ,
FaceTime ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medicare ,
OCR ,
OIG ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Skype ,
Telehealth ,
Waivers
CMS issued program instructions on March 17 (through a Fact Sheet and FAQ) to implement the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (CPRSAA), which was enacted on March 6 in response to the...more
3/18/2020
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Emergency Response ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medicare ,
OCR ,
Physicians ,
Public Health ,
Relief Measures ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Waivers
Following President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration on March 13, the US Department of Health and Human Services has finalized licensure waivers that would permit physicians participating in Federal health care...more
3/17/2020
/ Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Licensing Rules ,
Professional License ,
Public Health ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Relief Measures ,
State and Local Government ,
Telehealth
As part of emergency funding to combat the threat of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), last week Congress waived many of the telehealth restrictions for Medicare services in certain situations. This monumental change...more
3/10/2020
/ Anti-Kickback Statute ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Crisis Management ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Emergency Response ,
Federal Funding ,
Health and Safety ,
Health Care Providers ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Public Health ,
Stark Law ,
Telehealth
With bipartisan bills introduced in both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate on October 30, Congress appears ready to expand access to telehealth benefits for Medicare beneficiaries. The Creating Opportunities...more
It’s October 2, and that means this month is the deadline for the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to issue its final rules on special registration for telemedicine. The SUPPORT Act, signed into law on October 24, 2018, gave...more
Coming on the heels of the FCC’s recently proposed $100 million Connected Care Program to fund telehealth-based connections between healthcare providers and patients, and continuing its recognition of the critical role...more
The FCC recently issued draft rules for a pilot funding program to enhance broadband service for connected care telehealth purposes, reflecting the agency’s recognition of the increasingly critical role that telehealth plays...more
Summer is almost upon us. And in between the BBQs, pool parties, and baseball games, you might be trying to understand the risks involved in offering healthcare services through telehealth. Whether you're an independent...more
CMS finalized a rule last month that will significantly expand access to telehealth services for patients in Medicare Advantage plans. Implementing provisions of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BiBA), the new rule will...more
State legislature passes bill to expand telemedicine practice.
The last six years have been a wild ride for telehealth providers in Texas. When the Texas Medical Board (TMB) issued emergency rules in 2011 that required...more