telehealth

Federal Health Policy Update for the Week of August 24 to September 2

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government for the week of August 29 to September 2. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has introduced a new “National HIV Strategy” for 2022-2025. The new strategy updates the 2021 strategy and establishes targets for ending the HIV epidemic in the U.S. by 2030, including a 75 percent reduction in new HIV infections by 2025 and a 90 percent reduction by 2030. Find the strategy here. Proposed Changes in Medicaid, CHIP, and Basic Health Program Enrollment [...]

iqtsupport2022-09-06T15:25:17-04:00September 6, 2022|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, post-acute care, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Monday, August 8`

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Monday, August 8. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Congress On Sunday, the Senate passed the Democrats’ health care, climate, and tax bill, H.R. 5376, The Inflation Reduction Act, by a vote of 51-50, with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. Health care provisions in the reconciliation bill include: allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices limiting out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare enrollees to $2,000 a year extending for three years enhanced Affordable Care Act [...]

iqtsupport2022-08-08T16:12:06-04:00August 8, 2022|Affordable Care Act, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, COVID-19, deficit reduction, Medicaid, Medicare reimbursement policy, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Wednesday, July 27

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Final Medicare Payment Regulations for FY 2023 CMS has issued its final FY 2023 Medicare inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) payment system regulation, finalizing a rate increase of 3.9 percent, which is greater than the 2.8 percent the agency proposed in April. To learn more about CMS’s final IRF payment rule for FY 2023, see this CMS fact sheet and the final rule itself. CMS also has finalized its [...]

iqtsupport2022-07-27T17:34:40-04:00July 27, 2022|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Congress, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicaid long-term services and supports, Medicaid managed care, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, post-acute care, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Friday, June 3

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. White House The White House COVID-19 response coordinator and press secretary have held a briefing on the latest in the federal response to COVID-19. Find a transcript of that briefing here. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services HHS and CMS are notifying states that they now have an additional year – through March 31, 2025 – to use funding made available by the American Rescue Plan to enhance, [...]

iqtsupport2022-06-03T16:49:10-04:00June 3, 2022|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, health equity, hospitals, Medicare, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, May 12

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released $450 million in American Rescue Plan grants to rural health care providers. Go here to find the updated database of rural grant recipients. Department of Health and Human Services HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure have written to the nation’s governors about some of the challenges states will face when the COVID-19 public health [...]

iqtsupport2022-05-12T16:41:48-04:00May 12, 2022|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicaid regulations, Medicare, Medicare regulations, Telehealth|

Pandemic-Driven Telehealth Expansion Reaching the Disadvantaged

Contrary to the expectations of many, people who are considered disadvantaged based on where they live have experienced a greater increase in the use of telehealth services than any other group since access to such services was expanded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report published in Health Affairs, a previous trend that found an inverse link between socio-economic status and telehealth use reversed during the pandemic for non-elderly patients, with all minority groups experiencing increased telehealth use. The only exception has been among older adults, who continue to experience declines in telehealth use as they age. [...]

iqtsupport2022-05-09T06:00:40-04:00May 9, 2022|Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, May 5

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 5. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Department of Health and Human Services HHS and its Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have awarded nearly $25 million to 125 HRSA-funded health centers to improve and strengthen access to school-based health services. Awards will support local partnerships between schools and health centers to provide children and youth with comprehensive physical and mental health care. Learn more from this HHS news release. HHS and its Substance Abuse [...]

iqtsupport2022-05-05T16:22:38-04:00May 5, 2022|Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Coronavirus, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare, Medicare post-acute care, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC|

Telehealth Utilization Tracks Pandemic Decline

The frequency with which Americans are using telehealth to receive some of their health care, which rose considerably during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, has declined since doctors returned to their offices and fear of contagion lessened. Even so, the use of telehealth is far more common than it was before the COVID-19 public health emergency. A new analysis of telehealth utilization produced the following findings: Telehealth outpatient visits have declined since the early months of the pandemic. Even amid the general decline in telehealth visits, they remain higher than they were before the pandemic. The non-elderly are [...]

iqtsupport2022-02-11T17:35:08-05:00February 11, 2022|COVID-19, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Thursday, February 3

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 3. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. Provider Relief Fund The reconsideration window for Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 payments and American Rescue Plan rural hospital payments is now open for providers to request reconsideration of their payments. This process is intended only for providers that believe their payment was not calculated correctly. They will not have an opportunity to submit an application if they missed a deadline; will not be able to revise or [...]

iqtsupport2022-02-03T17:46:52-05:00February 3, 2022|Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, Coronavirus, COVID-19, health equity, hospitals, MACPAC, Medicaid, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare regulations, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|

Federal Health Policy Update for Monday, December 6

The following is the latest health policy news from the federal government as of 2:45 p.m. on Monday, December 6. Some of the language used below is taken directly from government documents. The White House The White House has published a plan outlining the steps the administration will take to combat the delta and omicron variants of COVID-19 in the coming months. The major components of this plan are boosters for all adults, vaccinations for children, expanded free home testing, stronger public health protocols for international travel, workplace protections, rapid response teams to help battle rising cases, and supplying treatment [...]

iqtsupport2021-12-06T17:23:36-05:00December 6, 2021|Accountable Care Organization, Alternative payment models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMMI, Coronavirus, COVID-19, MACPAC, Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, Medicare reimbursement policy, MedPAC, Telehealth|