OIG: Home Health Agencies Did Not Use Telehealth Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

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A new report from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that home health agencies (HHAs) rarely furnished services via telehealth early in the COVID-19 public health emergency. For the few claims in the OIG sample with services furnished via telehealth, HHAs did not fully comply with Medicare […]

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The DEA Relaxed Online Prescribing Rules During Covid. Now It Wants to Rein Them In.

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Arielle Zionts June 27, 2023 Federal regulators want most patients to see a health care provider in person before receiving prescriptions for potentially addictive medicines through telehealth — something that hasn’t been required in more than three years. During the covid-19 public health emergency, the Drug Enforcement Administration allowed doctors and other health care providers […]

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NEW: DEA Temporarily Extends Flexibilities for Telehealth Prescribing

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Yesterday, May 9, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued a temporary rule that extends telemedicine flexibilities regarding prescription of controlled medications.  The goal of the rule is to ensure a smooth transition for patients and practitioners that have come to rely on the availability […]

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Update on DEA Proposed Rule on Telemedicine Prescribing

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In late February 2023 (see NAHC Report), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) proposed a rule intended to govern the prescribing of controlled substances via telemedicine for application at the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). The proposed rule focuses on prescribing of a controlled substance via telemedicine consultation by a medical practitioner when no in-person […]

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Preparing For the End of the COVID-19 PHE

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The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) which began in early 2020 will come to an end on May 11, 2023.  Throughout the PHE various waivers, regulations, enforcement discretion, and sub-regulatory guidance were utilized to ensure access to care and give health care providers the flexibilities needed to respond to the PHE. Some of these flexibilities […]

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DEA Proposes Rules to Govern Post-PHE Prescribing of Controlled Substances via “Telehealth”

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On Friday, February 24, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released proposed rules intended to govern the prescribing of controlled substances via telemedicine for application at the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).  The proposed rule — — Telemedicine Prescribing of Controlled Substances When the Practitioner and the Patient Have Not Had a […]

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CMS Clarifies Telehealth Reporting on Home Health Claims

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The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has received clarification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a several issues concerning submitting claims with the new G-codes for telehealth encounters. CMS has indicated that they do not want home health agencies (HHAs) to submit a claim if the only services […]

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Telehealth Strategies for the Future

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Tuesday, February 21 , 2023 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET Free to NAHC members! REGISTER NOW Telehealth has expanded rapidly across the health care continuum. When the patient is at the center of implementation and ongoing workflow, benefits of telehealth programs can create connectedness and optimization of health care resources. This program will explore […]

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Reminder: Home Health Telehealth G-Codes

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This month home health agencies can begin voluntarily reporting the three new codes for telehealth services that were finalized as part of the CY 2023 Home Health Proposed Payment System final rule.  Reporting becomes mandatory July 1, 2023. Since there is not a payment tied to the new codes, agencies may be asking what the […]

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CMS Issues Telecommunications G-Codes for Home Health Reporting

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued Change Request 12805 that creates new G-codes for reporting home health services furnished by telehealth and to revise Original Medicare systems to process them without affecting payment to the home health agencies (HHAs). In the CY 2023 Home Health Proposed Payment System final rule, CMS […]

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Telehealth Strategies for the Future

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Wednesday, December 7 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Eastern REGISTER Telehealth has expanded rapidly across the health care continuum. When the patient is at the center of implementation and ongoing workflow, benefits of telehealth programs can create connectedness and optimization of health care resources. This program will explore real-life examples of telehealth as well as […]

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NAHC to Senate: Make Telehealth Access Permanent

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The National Association for Home Care & Hospice has joined other health care stakeholders in writing a letter to leaders in both parties in the United States Senate, urging them to make permanent the current telehealth flexibilties created to deal with the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Expanded access to telehealth durng the PHE has […]

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