Lawmakers are considering several bills this week that would make it easier for more healthcare providers to have their telehealth services paid for by Medicare during public health emergencies like COVID-19 (“New Emergency Telehealth Capacity Bill Has Bipartisan Support”–ThinkAdvisor, 6/22/20). The bills, introduced in both the House and Senate, also contain new provisions that will require the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide Congress with a report on the state of country’s telehealth infrastructure every five years as part of HHS’ ongoing efforts to broaden patient access to telehealth services. But what does this proposed legislation mean for hospitals and health systems?
Given the success of similar coronavirus emergency initiatives earlier this year such as April’s COVID-19 Emergency Telehealth Bill, healthcare providers are likely to see more federal legislative efforts aimed at further expanding patient access to telehealth services for many years to come. So now that Washington has demonstrated its support of telehealth expansion, the question for hospitals and health systems quickly becomes “can our technology scale to support any potential increase in demand for our telehealth services while still meeting the needs of our patients?” And if that answer is “no”, then it’s probably time to reassess your organization’s technological capabilities for the future.
The original version of this page was published at: https://www.duethealth.com/washington-wants-more-people-to-have-access-to-telehealth/
Duet Health delivers mobile software solutions for many of the nation’s leading healthcare organizations. Our innovative applications include custom Epic EHR solutions with the specific functionali... Read more
It’s no secret the coronavirus pandemic has created many uncertainties within healthcare, but one thing is clear: mobile patient-care technology is one of the best tools hospitals ...read more
This is the 1st in a 3-part white paper series from Duet Health on the immediate need and opportunities created from digital technology.Meaningful data points in this article:“Half ...read more
"It became a necessity, and (patients are) not going back"Since it’s meteoric adoption and implementation earlier this year, telemedicine and its associated technologies ...read more
HHS has finalized a number of new regulatory rules for health IT interoperability standards. Will your patient technology still be compliant in 90 days? A year?Compliance matters. ...read more
Unlock High Performance, HIPAA-Compliant Marketing
Purpose built for Healthcare Marketing in a Privacy-Focused World