UPDATE: Dec. 18, 5:57 p.m. ET: The spending bill’s prospects are now in doubt, after intense pressure from President-elect Donald Trump, along with Elon Musk and others, caused Republican representatives to drop their support for the stopgap measure.
After months and months (and months) of increasingly vocal and impassioned lobbying efforts, it appears that Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill have agreed – but not yet voted – on a stopgap year-end continuing resolution that will include key extensions several policies related to telehealth and at-home care.
A vote on the appropriations bill, which contains numerous Medicare and Medicaid provisions that have been long sought-after by healthcare and health IT organizations, is expected to take place this week.
Among the telehealth and remote patient monitoring provisions contained in the CR:
A two-year extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities
A five-year extension of Acute Hospital Care at Home program
A two-year extension allowing first-dollar coverage of telehealth for high deductible health plans
The bill also provides allowances for cardiopulmonary rehab services to be performed via telehealth at Medicare beneficiaries’ homes for the next two years; a five-year extension allowing virtual participation in the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program; and provisions for the SPEAK Act, which requires HHS to develop best practices for improving telehealth services for non-English speakers.
Industry groups are happy about the draft legislation, not least the American Telemedicine Association, which cheered the “big wins” for virtual care in the bill.
“The extensions in this proposed legislation are very meaningful for countless Americans and would give our healthcare providers and hospital systems some certainty and the confidence needed to continue to invest in needed telehealth services,” said Kyle Zebley, executive director of ATA Action, in a statement.
“This has been years in the making, and we must ensure that these extensions are kept intact as they go to vote in both chambers of Congress and then on to President Biden for signature,” he added. “This is shaping up to be a historic week for advancing telehealth and puts us on a path towards a modernized healthcare system.”
“The legislation contains a number of critical policies that the AHA strongly advocated for, including preventing cuts in Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments, reducing cuts to physicians, and extending Medicare programs that increase access to rural health care,” added Stacey Hughes, executive VP of the American Hospital Association, in a statement.
“Importantly, the bill also extends telehealth and hospital-at-home programs that expand access to care,” she said. “The AHA appreciates the House and Senate working together on this bipartisan health care package and urges Congress to pass this health care package that will ensure hospitals and health systems can continue to care for their patients and communities.”
“We thank congressional negotiators for promising language in their developing year-end spending package that would avert devastating cuts to Medicaid support for essential hospitals, extend telehealth flexibility and the hospital-at-home program, and take other steps to strengthen safety net care,” added Dr. Bruce Siegel, president and CEO of America’s Essential Hospitals.
Mike Miliard is executive editor of Healthcare IT News
Email the writer: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.
Source : Healthcare IT News