1. How will recently enact legislation allow CMS to utilize Medicare telehealth to address the declared Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency?  The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, as signed into law by the President on March 6, 2020, includes a provision allowing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to waive certain Medicare telehealth payment requirements during the Public Health Emergency (PHE) declared by the Secretary of Health and Human Services January 31, 2020 to allow beneficiaries in all areas of the country to receive telehealth services, including at their home.  2. What does this mean? What payment requirements for Medicare telehealth services are affected by the waiver?  Under the waiver, limitations on where Medicare patients are eligible for telehealth will be removed during the emergency. In particular, patients outside of rural areas, and patients in their homes will be elig...

TELEHEALTH ACCESS DURING NCOV-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY CMS announced   several waivers and policy changes to broaden access to telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 public health emergency. These include:  Waivers of originating and geographic site restrictions on Medicare telehealth services, permitting the delivery of these services in all areas of the country and all locations, including patients' homes. The ability of providers to use expanded telehealth authority for new and established patients for diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, as well as for conditions unrelated to the pandemic. Permission for providers to use everyday communications technologies, such as FaceTime or Skype, during the COVID-19 public health emergency, without running afoul of HIPAA penalties. They also released a  frequently asked questions  document about the changes included in its announcement. ...

Medicare Part B , which includes a variety of outpatient services cover medically necessary clinical diagnostic laboratory tests when a doctor or other practitioner orders them. Medically necessary clinical diagnostic laboratory tests are generally not subject to coinsurance or deductible. It will cover medically necessary imaging tests, such as computed tomography (CT) scans, as needed for treatment purposes for lung infections, however not for screening asymptomatic patients. For those imaging tests paid by Part B, beneficiary coinsurance and deductible would apply. If the Part B deductible ($198 in 2020) applies to the Part B services, beneficiaries must pay all costs - up to the approved amount of Medicare until the beneficiary meets the yearly Part B deductible. Once it is met, Medicare pays its share, and beneficiaries typically pay 20% of the approved amount of the service, except laboratory tests. There’s no yearly limit for what a beneficiary pays out-of-pocket tho...

What is Corona viru s? Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that causes respiratory illness in people once infected. They circulate among animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. They have this crown-like shape or halo thus called - Corona. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.  Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.   Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.  How is the Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 Different from Other Coronaviruses? Just like other viruses that cause smallpox, chickenpox, and monkeypox, different cor...