It’s been more than two weeks since the release of the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule. We’ve had a chance to digest our initial helping and now we’re ready for seconds. We thought we would see...more
7/31/2025
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Digital Health ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Insurance Industry ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Fraud ,
Mental Health ,
Technology ,
Telehealth
The world of health benefits is constantly evolving. Recent policy shifts and legislative developments are expected to impact the economic landscape and have significant implications for employer plan sponsors, insurers,...more
7/28/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Compliance ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
HDHP ,
HDHPs ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HSA ,
Insurance Industry ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Telehealth ,
TPAs
On July 4, 2025, the president signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) into law. Among many other healthcare provisions, the bill permanently extends the telehealth safe harbor for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs)...more
7/21/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Digital Health ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
HDHP ,
HDHPs ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
New Legislation ,
Safe Harbors ,
Technology ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
On July 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B [CMS-13271]...more
7/17/2025
/ Ambulatory Surgery Centers ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Insurance Industry ,
Medicare ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Shared Savings Program ,
New Regulations ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Technology ,
Telehealth
On January 15, 2025, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a proposed rule entitled Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations. This proposed rule would establish three...more
1/20/2025
/ Controlled Substances ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Life Sciences ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Technology Sector ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Trump Administration
At the close of 2024, US Congress passed a short-term extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities as part of the American Relief Act, 2025 (ARA). The Medicare telehealth waivers, originally enacted as part of the COVID-19...more
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) further extended flexibilities that allow providers to prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine without first performing an in-person visit. The flexibilities were...more
11/19/2024
/ Controlled Substances ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Extensions ,
Healthcare ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Temporary Regulations
Updated November 18, 2024 – The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2023 (Public Law 117-328), signed into law on December 29, 2022, extended certain key telehealth flexibilities instituted during the COVID-19 public...more
11/19/2024
/ Acute Facilities ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Home Health Care ,
Lame Duck Session ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2023 (Public Law 117-328), signed into law on December 29, 2022, extended certain key virtual care flexibilities instituted during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) through...more
11/12/2024
/ Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Controlled Substances ,
DEA ,
HDHP ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Lame Duck Session ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
A new rule posted on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) registry suggests that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is planning an additional extension of COVID-19 flexibilities for telemedicine prescribing of...more
10/14/2024
/ Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Healthcare ,
OMB ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
Legislative Uncertainty on Telehealth Waivers Slows Down, But Doesn’t Halt, Regulatory Action on Virtual Care McDermott+ is pleased to bring you Regs & Eggs, a weekly Regulatory Affairs blog by Jeffrey Davis. Click here to...more
On July 10, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B...more
Where has the time gone? We have hit the one-year mark since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Yes, you read that correctly. One year!
One of the long-term consequences of the PHE was the shift in when...more
May 11, 2024, marked one year since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and not much has changed in Medicare telehealth policy. We are still operating under temporary waivers and flexibilities and, as a...more
5/15/2024
/ Controlled Substances ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Electronic Prescribing ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Life Sciences ,
Mental Health ,
Patient Access ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
What does December 31, 2024, mean to you? New Year’s Eve? Post-2024 election? Too far away to know?
Our answer: December 31, 2024, is when we will go over a “telehealth cliff” if Congress fails to act before that date,...more
Happy New Year! As we enter 2024, we want to lay out some of the main regulatory issues (both new and old) that McDermott+Consulting will be tracking over the next year. While these may evolve, we think they are still...more
1/4/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
CARES Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Laboratory Developed Tests ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
MIPS ,
No Surprises Act (NSA) ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
A few weeks ago, Regs & Eggs discussed the constant give and take between federal agencies and Congress as they both work on overlapping policies and objectives. The major regs released last week provide an excellent example...more
11/9/2023
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Congressional Committees ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) ,
Physician Fee Schedule ,
Price Transparency ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Senate Committees ,
Telehealth ,
U.S. House
On November 2, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B...more
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) have further extended flexibilities that allow providers to prescribe controlled substances...more
10/9/2023
/ Controlled Substances ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
DEA ,
Extensions ,
Healthcare ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Health Emergency ,
SAMHSA ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Temporary Regulations
During this session, panelists offered insights into the regulatory action, rulemaking and legislation shaping the future of digital health, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), data privacy and the end of...more
6/19/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Digital Health ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Telehealth
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are extending telehealth flexibilities that allow providers to prescribe controlled substances. While the...more
5/11/2023
/ Controlled Substances ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
DEA ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
OIG ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Rulemaking Process ,
SAMHSA ,
Substance Abuse ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
McDermott’s digital health team continually monitors legal developments affecting all aspects of the remote delivery of care. This inaugural issue of our Of Digital Interest Quarterly Roundup highlights key issues and trends...more
4/28/2023
/ Banking Sector ,
Controlled Substances ,
DEA ,
Digital Health ,
Financial Crisis ,
Health Care Providers ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Silicon Valley ,
State and Local Government ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine
On February 24, 2023, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued two proposed rules (the Telemedicine Controlled Substance Proposed Rule and the Telemedicine Buprenorphine Proposed Rule) that would establish...more
On December 23, 2022, US Congress approved a year-end omnibus legislative package, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA 2023), which consists of all 12 fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills and numerous other...more
You’ve experienced the telehealth surge firsthand at the height of the public health emergency. Now hear from leading providers on how they deployed telehealth solutions and supported patients during COVID-19, and how the...more
10/15/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hospitals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Patients ,
Physicians ,
Public Health ,
Telehealth ,
Telemedicine ,
Webinars