News Archive

On Monday, US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra signed a renewal of the determination that a "public health emergency" exists due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The determination was last renewed in April and was set to expire -- as it is up for renewal every 90 days. This latest renewal is effective starting Tuesday and will continue for another 90 days.

On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that announces and solicits public comments on proposed policy changes for Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), and other Medicare Part B issues, on or after January 1, 2022.

The American Medical Association is launching an effort to use telehealth expansion as a means of improving digital literacy in underserved populations.

The American Medical Association has launched a new program to help providers craft a long-term strategy for telehealth scalability and sustainability.

Many states have implemented policies that promote telehealth to increase access to critical health services, including for Medicaid-enrolled students who are learning virtually during the pandemic. This report explores how states are: Increasing their Medicaid coverage of school-based telehealth services during COVID-19; Determining which services can be effectively delivered through telehealth; and Supporting equitable access to telehealth services for students. These policy decisions have implications for state budgets and the delivery of school-based health services post-pandemic.

The agency hopes to get the OK at its June commission meeting to post a second Report and Order on the program, which aims to boost telehealth adoption by funding broadband expansion projects.