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Telemedicine Appointments Aren't Available for All Social Groups

Socioeconomic Barriers to Telemedicine Appointments Remain

Although the rapid rise of telemedicine has proven invaluable for much of the US population over the last year, this has not held true for everybody. As with traditional health care, social factors are still hindering telemedicine’s reach to some communities. Industry experts are warning that as telemedicine appointments become a permanent part of the “new normal” of health care delivery, proactive measures must be taken to ensure that patients are not continually stymied by social factors in trying to access health care via telemedicine. Read more

Gavel for Healthcare

Are Lightened Telemedicine Regulations Here to Stay?

As we’ve noted previously, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust telemedicine into the spotlight with pro tem lifted telemedicine regulation, allowing both patients and providers to embrace low-contact methods for accessing healthcare. Now, several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, industry stakeholders are examining the currently active telemedicine regulations to determine which changes would encourage medical facilities and providers, ranging from small-practice primary care providers to tertiary care hospitals, to permanently add telemedicine to their routine options for health care delivery. Read more

CT scan of Ischemic stroke for telestroke reimbursement

HHS Urged to Adopt New Mexico’s Telestroke Reimbursement Program

Over the last five years, several telestroke programs have flourished around the country, but only one has successfully garnered Medicaid coverage: New Mexico’s Access to Critical Cerebral Emergency Support Services (ACCESS) model. Now, in a bid for telestroke reimbursement, an advisory committee is suggesting that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) use the ACCESS program as a model for building a nationwide telestroke network backed by Medicare. Read more

Approved stamp

CMS Approves Telemedicine for Medicaid Encounters

Just this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a final rule proclaiming that telemedicine for Medicaid home health services may qualify for reimbursement. CMS urges individual states to determine specifically the types of telemedicine that will be authorized. Read more