Telehealth Archives - Page 12 of 33

Telehealth

Digital Delivery of Healthcare Services After COVID-19

by Sandra M. DiVarco and Jennifer S. Geetter | Jul 22, 2020 | Telehealth

The idea of keeping people healthy at home has become more relevant than ever during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The expansion of telemedicine during the pandemic is expected to serve as a catalyst that will permanently change the way providers deliver care and patients engage with their health. Joined by leaders from Cricket Health, Livongo and BehaVR, we discussed factors driving the shift towards expanding digital delivery of healthcare services and the challenges – technological, regulatory and cultural – that impact such expansion. Click here to listen to the webinar recording, and read on for highlights from the program.

To learn more about the “Around the Corner” webinar series and attend an upcoming program, click here.

Audience Perspective

This poll shows that 40% of digital health consider regulatory obstacles to be their biggest challenge.

Program Insights

A redoubled focus on preventative care will be key to bring about effective digital health delivery. The current US healthcare delivery system, built mainly on reimbursable, episodic care, is consistently indicted for being a “sick care” system, not a “healthcare” system. Patients, especially patients with chronic healthcare conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, behavioral health and acute kidney disease, need constant, real-time support and guidance, and need their providers to have access to accurate, actionable information to manage these conditions between real-time encounters. Digital health will play a vital role in this effort.
New care modalities open the door to structural changes, which will need to keep pace with the healthcare system. How emerging care modalities are integrated into and affect the healthcare system are still in development, and raise a variety of concerns, from staffing and technology needs to privacy safeguards. As the healthcare system adapts to these changes, the regulations that govern care delivery, licensing, and accreditation will need to adjust as well.
Positive regulatory changes have been implemented during the pendency of the national pandemic emergency, but those or similar regulatory changes must continue, and gain momentum and reach, for lasting changes to occur. The actions taken by regulators during the COVID-19 public health emergency show that the government can swiftly respond to new ideas and paths to care. However, these actions are temporary, and it will take time to implement lasting change. While there is an appetite to make some common-sense changes permanent, other areas, such as multi-state professional licensing, will likely take more time due to their complexity.
Reimbursement models based around episodic care are a major hurdle to the adoption of on-going remote monitoring and other digital health tools. Panelists agreed that when reimbursement structures are aligned with value-based care, such that providers are reimbursed for the outcomes and on-going care management they provide, digital health tools become a critical part of the provider’s toolbox. In [...]

Continue Reading

Around the Corner: The Future Of Telehealth After COVID-19

by Jennifer S. Geetter, Marshall E. Jackson, Jr. and Lisa Mazur | Jun 26, 2020 | Telehealth

Prior to the pandemic, health providers and stakeholders were quickly moving to develop and expand existing telehealth programs. Now we are seeing an adoption of telehealth solutions that far surpasses all of the activity we saw in the past five years combined.

Joined by leaders from BDO, Babylon Health, Crossover Health and the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, we discussed what the future of digital provider/patient engagement may look like after COVID-19 and the legal factors that influence implementation. Telehealth is the new normal and there is no turning back.

Bar graph with poll results.

PROGRAM INSIGHTS

There is now recognition that telehealth can, in fact, replace in-person visits in many situations. Patients and healthcare providers have quickly turned to telehealth to provide care for existing and new healthcare conditions during the pandemic. This increase in use has provided additional data demonstrating the value of telehealth. In addition to telehealth visits, patients are looking to patient care navigators and wellness advisors for basic healthcare information that can empower them to manage their healthcare needs before seeking treatment from a licensed healthcare professional.
The regulation of telehealth on a state-by-state basis is an ongoing hindrance to telehealth providers in the United States. While the state waivers on professional licensure and care delivery during the COVID-19 public health emergency have temporarily lowered some of these barriers, these waivers have or will soon expire in many states, once again leaving telehealth providers with the burden of developing complex compliance strategies that differ from state to state.
For telehealth to achieve its full potential, it needs to be freed from the constraints that apply to in-person episodic care. In doing so, remote monitoring can meaningfully engage patients in real time to actively manage care on an ongoing basis, without interruptions or the need for a pre-scheduled visit.
The COVID-19 pandemic is digital health adrenaline – forcing people rapidly and without warning to pivot to telehealth. But when technology works well and effectively, demand will persist well beyond the catalyzing event. If patients receive superior quality care through digital technologies and superior convenience, this improved experience will force the traditional healthcare delivery process to continue its changed approach.
The healthcare transactional business model is a challenge that holds back widespread adoption of telehealth. Now that lawmakers have data that demonstrates the value of telehealth, reimbursement codes for different delivery modalities will need to be reevaluated. This reevaluation will future catalyze greater adoption of telehealth by providers as payments will align more appropriately with the services delivered.

For a deeper dive into these topics, please listen to our webinar recording, available here.

Future Forward: Data Arrangements During and After COVID-19

by Stephen W. Bernstein | May 12, 2020 | Big Data, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Data Transfers/Safe Harbor/Privacy Shield, General Interest, Mobile Apps, Telehealth

The need for speedy and more complete access to data is instrumental for healthcare providers, researchers, pharmaceutical, biotech and device companies and public health authorities as they work to quickly identify infection rates, disease trends, outcomes, including antibodies, and opportunities for treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

A variety of data sharing and collaborations have emerged in the wake of this crisis, such as:

Requests and mandates by public health authorities, either directly or via providers’ business associates requesting real time information on infections and bed and equipment availability
Data sharing collaborations among providers for planning, anticipating and tracking COVID-19 caseloads
Data sharing among providers, professional societies and pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies in search of testing options, treatment and vaccine solutions, and evaluation of co-morbidities

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL INFOGRAPHIC.

Florida’s Extension of its COVID-19 Out-of-State Provider Waiver: A Sign of the Times

by Adam J. Rogers, Dale C. Van Demark and Danielle N. Scheer | Apr 17, 2020 | General Interest, Telehealth

Background: Issuing Florida’s Emergency Order

On March 16, 2020, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees signed, stamped and finalized Emergency Order 20-002. In doing so, Florida joined what would become the vast majority of states in modifying licensure requirements for physicians in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency.

The surgeon general’s order waived licensing requirements for out-of-state healthcare professionals, advanced life support professionals and basic life support professionals so that they could render services in Florida for the purposes of preparing for, responding to and mitigating any effect of COVID-19. In addition to waiving licensing requirements for in-person services, the order exempted out-of-state physicians, osteopathic physicians, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses from licensing requirements governing the provision of telehealth. The order also impacted emergency medical services training programs, physical examination requirements for physician certifications, prescription drug distribution and controlled substance prescription renewals (including medical marijuana). The order was to expire 30 days after signing—April 15, 2020.

(more…)

$200 Million of Funding for COVID-19 Telehealth Program

by Dale C. Van Demark, Lisa Mazur, Marshall E. Jackson, Jr. and Rachel Stauffer | Apr 14, 2020 | Telehealth

On April 2, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched the $200 million Coronavirus (COVID-19) Telehealth Program contemplated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Telehealth Program is distinguishable from the broader Connected Care Pilot Program, which will make an additional $100 million in federal universal service funds available for telehealth over the next three years.

Telehealth Program

Notwithstanding telehealth’s advantages, most low-income Americans are unable to utilize telehealth services due to their lack of consistent, broadband internet connection. Furthermore, some providers are limited in their ability to treat patients via telehealth due to the substantial financial and IT investment in developing connected care programs (e.g., purchase of remote patient monitoring devices, telehealth software platforms). The purpose of the Telehealth Program is to support healthcare providers in urban and rural areas, that are responding to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic by maximizing their provision of connected care services and devices. The Telehealth Program will help eligible healthcare providers purchase telecommunications services, information services and devices necessary to provide critical connected care services.

For purposes of the Telehealth Program and Connected Care Pilot Program, “connected care services” are defined as a subset of telehealth that uses broadband internet access service-enabled technologies to deliver care to patients at their mobile location or residence. Only internet-connected devices are covered, not unconnected devices that require the patient to communicate the results to their provider.

Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted or the coronavirus pandemic ends. To maximize the $200 million, the FCC anticipates limiting each applicant to $1 million in funding. Further, the FCC has indicated an interest in prioritizing funding to areas especially hard-hit by the coronavirus.

Eligible Healthcare Providers

(more…)

Avoiding Confusion Over State Licensing Laws as CMS Further Loosens Telemedicine Restrictions

by Dale C. Van Demark, Dawn R. Helak, Lisa Mazur and Rachel Stauffer | Apr 10, 2020 | Telehealth

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to loosen the conditions for participation in Medicare, as well as specific reimbursement requirements, to ensure facilities and practitioners are able to practice at the top of their license and across state lines without jeopardizing Medicare reimbursement. Unfortunately, as demonstrated when CMS took similar actions over the past few weeks in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, headlines tend to overlook one fundamental component of the applicable regulatory regime: state law requirements.

Unlike the Veterans Affairs Administration’s (VA’s) action a few years ago, which preempted state licensing law for purposes of implementing a VA telemedicine program, the Department of Health and Human Services has limited its actions during the COVID-19 pandemic to modifications of federal regulations and rules. Secretary Alex Azar, in a letter to the Governors, instead encouraged the states to take action themselves to similarly loosen state laws to ensure maximum utilization of resources. The states have been doing so, in some instances since early March, with different approaches. These differences stem from a large number of variables that are implicated by state licensure laws.

Key Takeaways: The practical implication for the provider community is that new standards for Medicare need to be adopted in harmony with existing state laws requirements, which, unfortunately, are not uniform across the country. Nevertheless, nearly every state has taken action to loosen cross-border licensing restrictions for healthcare professionals and have modified other rules and regulations to help protect healthcare workers, maximize their numbers and help them practice at the highest level of their experience and training. There is a national movement in this direction, but it remains a patchwork.

For a deeper dive into telemedicine regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit our Coronavirus Resource Center, which features articles, webinar recordings and videos on the telemedicine issues you need to know.

Telemedicine COVID-19 Briefing: March 16

by McDermott Will & Emery | Mar 13, 2020 | Telehealth

Government, media and industry have all pointed to the potential for telemedicine to assist in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, steps have been taken by the government to ease the burdens associated with the use of telemedicine during this crisis. Unfortunately, the complexity of the regulatory infrastructure has left a fair amount of confusion with respect to the extent to which rules have been, and may be, liberalized. At a time when our healthcare infrastructure is engaging with a health crisis that will get worse before it gets better, confusion about the requirements for care delivery needs to be reduced to a minimum.

Please join us on Monday, March 16 from 1 – 2pm ET for an update on:

Loosened Medicare reimbursement requirements
State emergency efforts
Related issues associated with the delivery of telemedicine services during the COVID-19 pandemic

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Bipartisan Bill Relaxes Federal Telehealth Requirements in the Wake of COVID-19

by Dale C. Van Demark, Lisa Mazur and Marshall E. Jackson, Jr. | Mar 5, 2020 | Telehealth

On March 4, 2020, the House passed the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, a bipartisan bill to aid in COVID-19 preparedness and response. The bill includes, among other things, provisions that waive certain telehealth requirements during the COVID-19 public health emergency to ensure Medicare beneficiaries can receive telehealth services at home to avoid placing themselves at greater risk of the virus.

Generally, Medicare beneficiaries may only receive telehealth services as a Medicare covered service if:

The beneficiary (patient) is located in a qualifying rural area;
The beneficiary is located at one of eight types of qualifying originating sites;
The services are provided by one of 10 categories of distant site practitioners eligible to furnish and receive Medicare payment for telehealth services;
The beneficiary and distant site practitioner communicate via an interactive audio and video telecommunications system that permits real-time communication between them—telephones, fax machines and email do not meet this requirement; and
The CPT/HCPCs code for the service is on the list of covered Medicare telehealth services.

The bill gives the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the authority to waive the originating site requirement for telehealth services provided to Medicare beneficiaries located in any identified emergency area during emergency periods by a qualified provider. An “emergency area” is a geographical area in which, and an “emergency period” is the period during which, there exists: (a) an emergency or disaster declared by the president pursuant to the National Emergencies Act or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and (b) a public health emergency declared by the secretary. The bill also allows telehealth services to be provided to Medicare beneficiaries via phone, but only if the phone allows for audio-video interaction between the provider and the beneficiary.

The bill takes important steps to allow healthcare providers to deploy telehealth resources in response to COVID-19 and other public health emergencies, and allows Medicare beneficiaries to receive telehealth services from the comfort of their home (even via their smart phone) without risk of exposure. While the bill represents a further step in the expansion of the availability of telehealth services, we should be careful not to overstate its impact. The waiver of the originating site requirement and expansion of telemedicine modalities is limited to emergency areas identified by the president and secretary during emergency periods. Accordingly, as a practical matter, this expansion of availability of telehealth reimbursement is very limited. In addition, healthcare providers must still comply with state laws and regulations that govern telehealth, including, but not limited to, professional licensure, scope of practice, standard of care, patient consent and other reimbursement requirements for non-Medicare beneficiaries.

The bill offers a welcome relaxation of the rigid Medicare requirements for telehealth reimbursement during a time of stress within the healthcare industry. It also represents another, albeit small, step in the gradual acceptance of telehealth within the healthcare reimbursement sector.

Coronavirus Resource Center | Preparedness Planning for Businesses

by McDermott Will & Emery | Mar 5, 2020 | General Interest, Telehealth

In our global economy, Coronavirus (COVID-19) raises serious concerns for employers in all industries. Workers may be on the front lines caring for patients and developing vaccines, travelling for business, or in close contact with individuals who travel or may have been affected. At this time, there is no vaccine or medication approved to prevent or treat the COVID-19 disease. Therefore, preparedness and prevention are crucial. Frontline responders must be especially vigilant as they deliver care and anticipate the challenges this uncharted territory presents.

McDermott’s Coronavirus Resource Center, brought to you by a multi-disciplinary team, will keep you informed of the latest developments and provide comprehensive insight to help you navigate this crisis with your employees, including:

Frequently asked questions for US and multi-national employers
Recent news updates
Podcasts
Upcoming events

Click here to access the Resource Center.

The Role of Telehealth in COVID-19 Response Efforts

by Dale C. Van Demark, Lisa Mazur and Marshall E. Jackson, Jr. | Mar 3, 2020 | Telehealth

As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States grows, healthcare providers are stepping up their response planning. To combat the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged healthcare systems and providers to deploy all of the resources necessary to ensure health system preparedness. The CDC recommended the use of telehealth tools to help address COVID-19 preparedness and to assist in directing patients to the right level of healthcare for their medical needs.

Healthcare providers have a unique and pressing opportunity to offer telehealth services to potential COVID-19 patients. At the same time, healthcare providers’ response to the COVID-19 outbreak highlights some of the barriers to the provision of telehealth services. Providers considering using telehealth as part of their COVID-19 response efforts should take the following factors into consideration:

While healthcare providers cannot diagnose COVID-19 through a telehealth visit, they can perform a number of services without requiring a patient to visit crowded medical facilities where the virus might be present. These services include performing initial patient screenings, assessing and assigning risk categories to patients, determining if a patient needs to seek diagnostic testing, and answering patient questions and offering treatment recommendations.
Deploying telehealth services is not without its challenges. The varying reimbursement policies of private, state and federal payers, as well as differing state-based medical licensing requirements, may burden providers and patients with confusion, economic inefficiencies and onerous processes in a difficult engagement context.
As part of the COVID-19 response discussions, telehealth advocates propose that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reduce or eliminate its long-standing telehealth reimbursement restrictions. This change would allow Medicare to pay for virtual visits during national emergencies, regardless of originating site or geographic location. There is also a push to waive the lengthy enrollment process telehealth providers must undergo to be paid by Medicare.
While telehealth has the potential to assist in a healthcare system’s response to COVID-19, providers still must comply with state laws and regulations that govern telehealth, including but not limited to professional licensure, scope of practice, standard of care and patient consent, in addition to the reimbursement requirements and limitations put into place by third-party payers.
- Typically, telehealth providers must be licensed in the state in which the patient is located, although certain states have exceptions that telehealth providers may leverage in response to COVID-19.
- Telehealth providers must practice within the scope of practice of the profession in which they are licensed and within the standard of care set forth by the governing professional board in a given state.
- State telehealth laws may require a specific modality for telehealth consultations (e.g., audio-visual consultations). Likewise, third-party payers may require a specific modality for telehealth consultations for purposes of reimbursement.

Older Posts »

« Newer Posts

BLOG EDITORS

Amanda Enyeart

Marshall E. Jackson, Jr.

BLOG EDITORS

STAY CONNECTED

TOPICS

ARCHIVES

RECENT POSTS