Dear Colleagues,
We hope you're doing well and are having a great start to 2022 as we enter the time of the year when one can notice the sun staying up just a little bit longer each day, and the warmer weather showing up from time to time.
Early indications are that 2022 will continue on the theme of healthcare transformation and telehealth implementation; we've got TONS of telehealth updates to share with you this month. T his edition of Northeast Connections aims to help you digest the multitudes of things happening across the telehealth landscape; including Policy Updates, Multiple NCTRC member Resources, Upcoming Webinars & Events for 2022, Open Telehealth Funding Opportunities, and so much more.
As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with your telehealth questions, success stories, or just to say hello; we hope to hear from you!
On behalf of the entire NETRC Team – Be Well,
Reid Plimpton, MPH - Project Manager
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Upcoming Webinars & Events |
Open Funding Opportunities |
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Federal & State Policy Updates + CCHP Resources |
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Federal Policy and Reimbursement updates
Public Health Emergency (PHE) Updates
On January 14, 2022 the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness & Response (ASPR) signed an extension of the COVID 19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration, see here, this ensurses the continuance of the telehealth flexibilities for another 90 days from 1/16/22. On January 28, 2022, a bipartisan group of 36 Senators and 7 members of the House sent a letter to Congressional leadership supporting permanent telehealth expansions and urging Congress to include an extension in the meantime within government funding legislation planned to pass in February.
CMS Updates
In Mid-January, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent out an article to providers regarding telehealth billing changes in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), including two new modifiers and a telehealth Services List update. The letter clarifies the timing for these requirements including when the 6-month prior in-person visit will need to be met. Limited exceptions to the in-person requirements are described, including travel hardships or provider unavailability. The update also includes 2 new modifiers for telehealth mental health services:
- FQ - A telehealth service was furnished using real-time audio-only communication technology
- FR - A supervising practitioner was present through a real-time two-way, audio/video communication technology
You can find the full article here.
Federal Policy Updates
As we all experienced throughout 2021, 2022 will be a year frequent discussions and changes at policy level of telehealth implementation, our colleagues at the Center for Connected Health Policy ( CCHP) continue to release in-depth newsletters covering this at all levels (State statute and regulatory avenues, Federal statute and reimbursement avenues, etc.), click here and here to read the two most recent.
Recent State Policy Updates
Maine- (Note that all ME Sessions are viewable remotely, See here)
LD 1758 "An Act Regarding Access to Telehealth Behavioral Health Services during Public Health Emergencies"- A public hearing was held on 1/18/22 (testimony available here) and work sessions were held on 2/2/22 and 2/22/22; A committee vote was held on 2/24/22 and the bill was voted Ought to Pass (OTP), and subsequently reported out of committee.
LD 1920 "An Act To Enact the Interstate Counseling Compact To Address Inequities in Access to Clinical Counseling Services and Increase Maine's Provider Workforce"- A public hearing was held on 1/27/22 (testimony available here), and a subsequent committee work session was held on 2/1/22; a committee vote was held on 2/1/22, and the bill was voted Ought to Pass as Amended (OTP-AM). The bill was reported out of committee with amendments on 2/24/22.
New Hampshire-
HB1405 "Allowing Out-of-State Mental Health Care Providers to Provide Telehealth Treatment During a Mental Health Emergency". A Public Hearing was held on 1/24/22, and the bill has a preliminary committee deadline of 3/10/22.
SB382 "Relative to Licensure Requirements for Telehealth Services". A Public Hearing is scheduled for 1/26/22 and the report does not yet have a preliminary committee deadline.
New York-
Multiple bills have been proposed regarding Telehealth Coverage via Private Insurers, A02674, A06741, A06256, S02990, S05505 and A06644 all tackle different components of this conversation and have all been sent to the Assembly Insurance Committee for review and discussion as of 1/5/22. There appears to be over 10 other bill proposals pertaining to telehealth, which can be found here; the NETRC team will continue to monitor these and provide a more in-depth update in future newsletters and materials.
Vermont-
Per directives issues in Act 21 (2021 Session), the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation convened the Interstate Telehealth Working Group (ITWG) throughout the summer and fall of 2021, leading to a report on the findings for the Vermont State Legislature, directed to the House Committee on Health Care, the House Committee on Government Operations, the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, and the Senate Committee on Government Operations. The report and ITWG recommendations are available here, and The VT State Legislature will consider these recommendations as a part of H.655 “An Act Relating to Establishing a Telehealth Licensure and Registration System”.
H.655 Update- After review and discussion within the House Committee on Health Care and the Committee on Ways and Means the bill was referred to the Appropriations Committee on 2/23/22.
Connecticut-
HB5001 "An Act Concerning Children's Mental Health" - Introduced on 2/17/22, this bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Public Health on 2/17/22, and a Public Hearing was held on 2/25/22
SB15 "An Act Encouraging Primary and Preventative Care"- Introduced on 2/10/22, this bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Insurance and Real Estate on 2/10/22, and a Public Hearing is scheduled for 3/1/22.
Massachusetts-
H1101 "An Act Relative to Telehealth and Digital Equity for Patients" - Originally introduced in 2021, this bill requested an informative report be developed and prepared for the state legislature. On 2/3/22, the reporting date for the requested materials was extended to 4/30/22.
Rhode Island does not appear to have any pending/current legislation being discussed relating to telehealth as of 2/28/22.
Please note that many states continue to keep their temporary telehealth COVID-19 emergency policies siloed from their permanent telehealth policies, while others have made permanent changes and updates; CCHP has clearly explained which documents include both of these scenarios, and which focus on permanent changes.
Additional Policy Resources
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Resources from around the NCTRC |
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Did you know that in the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the TRCs hosted or participated in over 3,000 outreach events?
As the United States went into a full calendar year wrestling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC) continued to rise to the challenge of addressing the nation’s need for telehealth technical assistance. After the first wave of demands that saw many healthcare organizations providing and experiencing telehealth for the first time and assisting with their questions and needs, the telehealth resource centers (TRCs) found 2021 to be a year of refining and improving.
For more information, click the image to the left or click here to read the full report.
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TTAC Technology Survey
Every two years the National Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center (TTAC) sends out their Telehealth Technology Survey. This survey asks a variety of questions around the types of technologies, roles, and future planning of organizations and individuals that use telehealth technology. We use this data to identify technologies of interest for future evaluations, toolkits, video series and other resources understand trends that are affecting the telehealth landscape by region and nationwide to determine how TTAC can better engage with you!
The survey takes less than 10 minutes, and by completing it and providing your email address TTAC will enter you into our drawing for one of 10 Amazon gift cards. Be sure to get your response in today.
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CCHP'sTelehealth Policy Video Learning Series
Navigating the telehealth policy landscape can often times feel overwhelming and quite complicated. This is why CCHP created a series of short explainer videos to help provide the basics for those seeking to learn more. Currently with three video series (Telehealth policy 101 for true beginners, 201 for the novice who just wants to learn more, and 301 for the serious telehealth ninjas out there), this new tool is sure to help you better understand the policy landscape!
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Open Funding Opportunities & Updates |
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American Rescue Plan Act – Pediatric Mental Health Care Access – New Area Expansion
FOA Number: HRSA-22-121
Applications Due: Apr. 5, 2022
Total Program Funding: $4,450,000
Expected Number of Awards: 10
The FY 2021 ARP-PMHCA – New Area Expansion Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) released on May 19, 2021. HRSA made 24 awards under that announcement. The FY 2022 funding opportunity will support up to an additional 10 awards to continue the expansion of the program into all 50 states.
The purpose of this program is to promote behavioral health integration into pediatric primary care by supporting pediatric mental health care telehealth access programs. State or regional networks of pediatric mental health care teams will provide tele-consultation, training, technical assistance, and care coordination support for pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) to diagnose, treat, and refer children with behavioral health conditions. Successful recipients will focus on achieving health equity related to racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities in access to care, especially in rural and other underserved areas. PMHCA advances HRSA strategic plan goals to improve access to quality health services, foster a health care workforce able to address current and emerging needs, achieve health equity, and enhance population health.
For the purposes of this funding opportunity, telehealth is defined as the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical consultation, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration. Permitted telehealth modalities between providers include (but are not limited to): real-time video, telephonic communications, store-and-forward imaging, and mobile health (mHealth) applications.
Click here to learn more and apply |
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Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program
FOA Number: HRSA-22-115
Applications Due: Apr. 5, 2022
Total Program Funding: $5,000,000
Expected Number of Awards: 5
The purpose of the RMOMS program is to improve access to and continuity of maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities. The goals of the RMOMS program are to:
- improve maternal and neonatal outcomes within a rural region;
- develop a sustainable network approach to increase the delivery and access of preconception, prenatal, pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum services;
- develop a safe delivery environment with the support and access to specialty care for perinatal patients and infants; and
- develop sustainable financing models for the provision of maternal and obstetrics care in rural hospitals and communities.
Applicants are encouraged to propose innovative ways to achieve these goals through an established or formal regional network structure. The RMOMS program includes a robust independent evaluation and analysis effort that will rely on validated clinical data from each RMOMS award recipient and their appropriate network member in order to quantify the impact of this program investment. All network members, regardless of ownership status, will be required to collect and share clinical data.
Click here to learn more and apply
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Telehealth Strategies to Maximize HIV Care
FOA Number: HRSA-22-030
Applications Due: Apr. 8, 2022
Total Program Funding: $1,750,000
Expected Number of Awards: 1
HRSA will fund one cooperative agreement for up to three years to identify and maximize the use of telehealth strategies that are most effective in improving linkage to care, retention in care, and health outcomes, including viral suppression, for people with HIV who receive services through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP).This project builds upon existing programs, and HAB will coordinate with similar activities in HRSA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The objectives of the Telehealth Strategies to Maximize HIV Care project are:
- Identify telehealth strategies that are best suited for different RWHAP populations.
- Increase utilization of effective telehealth modalities and/or strategies within the RWHAP.
- Increase dissemination of telehealth strategies and tools for uptake in the RWHAP.
- Increase the capacity of RWHAP recipients and subrecipients to identify and implement effective telehealth strategies.
- Increase equity in HIV care for people we have not yet successfully maintained in care or populations that historically experience poor health outcomes.
Click here to learn more and apply |
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Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program
FOA Number: HRSA-22-093
Applications Due: .Mar 21, 2022
Total Program Funding: $8,000,000
Expected Number of Awards: 40
The purpose of this program is to support the planning and implementation of quality improvement activities for rural primary care providers or providers of health care services, such as critical access hospitals (CAH), rural health clinics (RHC), or a network of rural health providers, serving rural residents. The goal of the Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program is to promote the development of a quality improvement culture and the delivery of cost-effective, coordinated, culturally appropriate, and equitable health care services in rural primary care settings. Specifically, program objectives include increased care coordination, enhanced chronic disease management, and improved health outcomes for patients. An additional program goal is to prepare rural health care providers for quality reporting and pay-for-performance programs. In order to achieve these goals and objectives, applicants are required to use an evidence-based model or promising practice to demonstrate the following impact areas, by the end of the four-year period of performance:
1) Improved health outcomes,
2) Expanded capacity for essential health care services, and
3) Increased financial sustainability.
Click here to learn more and apply |
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FCC/ USAC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program & Affordable Connectivity Program- Program Updates
In late 2021, Congress created the Affordable Connectivity Program, a new long-term, $14 billion program, to replace the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. This investment in broadband affordability will help ensure we can afford the connections we need for work, school, health care and more for a long time. In Late February, the White House and FCC announced that over 10 million households are now enrolled in the Affordable Connectivity Program. As a direct result of the collaborative outreach efforts we all have undertaken, we've helped over 10M households gain access to discounted broadband services through the nation’s largest ever broadband affordability program. New material designed to continue to aide partners in outreach to potential consumers is being continuously developed, visit the FCC Outreach Toolkit to access them all, here.
Consumer Updates
On March 1, 2022, most legacy Emergency Broadband Benefit households should be automatically transitioned to the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Households that need to take action to remain enrolled in the ACP will have been contacted by USAC, the program administrator, or their provider. After the transition period ends on March 1, 2022, the monthly discount for all legacy EBB participants not located on qualifying Tribal lands will be reduced to $30. Consumers should contact their provider if they are concerned about a possible increase in their monthly service bill or are interested in changing to a different service plan.
Households that may need to take action include:
- Consumers for whom the transition from EBB’s $50 per month subsidy to ACP’s $30 per month subsidy will result in additional out-of-pocket costs.
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Action required: Contact your provider. Consumers may have to opt-in to the program to ensure that they are comfortable with assuming additional out-of-pocket costs for their broadband bill.
- Consumers who originally qualified for EBB by suffering job loss as of February 29, 2020 or participating in their carrier’s COVID-19 program.
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Action required: Contact USAC to reapply for the ACP, if eligible. Consumers will have to requalify/reapply for the ACP program.
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Note: Households located on qualifying Tribal lands will continue to receive a $75 monthly benefit and will not need to take any action to continue receiving the Affordable Connectivity Program benefit.
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Open Telehealth Job Opportunities |
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The University of New Hampshire is hiring for a Director of Interprofessional Education and the Telehealth Practice Center!
This new position, reporting to the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, will engage in the academic mission of the College to strengthen the IPE curriculum and the growth of Telehealth Practice Center. Responsibilities include the integration of telepractice and e-health modalities in undergraduate and graduate education, service, and research for the health and human services disciplines across UNH. Ideal candidates will hold an advanced degree in a related field, exhibit an understanding of best practices around IPE in health and human services curricula, demonstrate clinical knowledge and understanding of the implementation of digital health technologies into service delivery, and have experience in the area(s) of sustainability planning and grant development and management.
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Upcoming Webinars and Events |
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Achieving Quality in Telehealth
March 4, 2022: 12:00 PM EST
As healthcare providers continue to optimize opportunities to leverage telehealth as a tool to improve access to care, the federally funded (HRSA) Northeast Telehealth Resource Center (NETRC.org) aims to support improving and maintaining quality in telehealth.
Informed by regional and national subject matter experts and stakeholders, NETRC is launching a new, open-access training resource through www.TelehealthClassroom.org. This resource highlights needs and opportunities to achieve quality in telehealth.
Topics covered include:
OPERATIONAL BEST PRACTICES
Telehealth Integration
Patient Selection & Engagement
Team-Based Care Approaches
CLINICAL BEST PRACTICES
Etiquette and Website Manner
Clinical Appropriateness
Integrating Quality Measures
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Telegenetics Training Opportunity
March 15 or March 31, 2022, 12:00-4:00pm EST
Telegenetics is increasingly used to connect underserved populations with genetic care and services. The telegenetics training course offered by Western States Regional Genetics Network can help you improve your skills, give you some ideas for new technology and platforms, and provide information about policies, laws, and practice, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The entirely-virtual course, available at no cost, consists of:
• Ten self-paced on-line modules (~3-4 hours total)
• A mandatory four-hour, live Zoom training with telegenetics experts on May 15 or May 31, 12:00-4:00 pm EST
Details about how to register will be sent a few weeks before the training.
• CEUs (if applicable) and a Certificate of Completion will be provided to participants who complete the online content AND attend one of the two live (virtual) events
• Genetics and non-genetics providers and students are welcome to attend. Space is limited, and preference will be given to first-time participants practicing in the New England region.
• Participants must agree to answer a short survey each year about their telehealth experiences. This helps the trainers to offer the course as part of their federal funding.
• Registration and modules will open two weeks before the training.
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Patient Access for Well Care & Sick Visits
Mach 3, 2022
1:00 PM EST
Topics covered include:
Survey results - patient preference for telehealth and in- office visits
Cost savings and efficiency with virtual visits
What to do to change behavior
After hours workflows
Virtualist and Officist Physicians
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NYMAC Virtual Conference
April 5th & 6th, 2022
Join Us at the Annual New York- Mid-Atlantic-Carribean (NYMAC) Regional Genetics Network Conference! We are excited to attend this 2 day event filled with interactive sessions with speakers from healthcare, public health and family organizations. At this virtual event, a diverse group of stakeholders will explore strategies that can impact access to patient centered genetic care. Topics include:
Multidisciplinary collaboration,
Developing inclusive service delivery models,
Integrating Genetics into Primary Care
&More!
The conference agenda can be found here.
If you need help during the registration process, please email: NYMAC@ferre.org.
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Quality Improvement in Acute Stroke Care: A TeleNeurologist’s Perspective
March 23, 2022 at 12:00 PM EST
Join TeleSpecialists neurologist Dr. Michelle Boudreau as she explores best practices in acute stroke care. Dr. Boudreau will go in depth regarding the methods and protocols a stroke quality program can implement to significantly improve patient outcomes after administration of thrombolytics and/or performing thrombectomy.
Learning Objectives:
· Describe best practices in acute stroke care
· Outline methods to assist healthcare professionals and staff in optimizing protocols to improve door-to-needle and door-to-groin puncture time
· Describe methods to improve patient outcomes after administration of thrombolytics and/or performing thrombectomy
· Outline methods to assist stroke coordinators and hospital staff in developing a quality stroke program
Our Continuing Education activities now offer complimentary CME credits. This course also offers Nursing Contact Hours.
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FCC Digital Health Symposium: Advancing Broadband Connectivity as a Social Determinant of Health Webinar Series-Innovation & Integration of Telehealth into Population Health
March 3, 10am-4pm EST
This Symposium was developed in connection with the C2H Task Force’s Initiative to advance broadband connectivity as a social determinant of health. (see here). It is intended to gather public and private sector thought leaders and reflect a diverse and wide range of voices from government, academia, clinical care, advocacy groups, research, philanthropy, and various industries (tech, telecom, and healthcare) to discuss important issues around recognizing broadband connectivity as a “social determinant of health.” Participants will discuss and explore the implications of this framework for national broadband policies, on FCC policies (e.g., Universal Service Fund, Telehealth, Affordability Broadband Program, etc.), population health, and government-wide efforts to improve health equity.
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ATA2022 Annual Conference & Expo
May 1-3, 2022 in Boston, MA
ATA2022 will showcase a mix of practical applications of telehealth – from preventative and primary care to behavioral health and other areas of specialty care — and hands-on workshops, mixed with luminary vision of important next steps for telehealth’s future. #GoTelehealth
Engage with a dynamic and multi-disciplinary community of professionals and leaders from healthcare institutions, technology and solution providers, government agencies and policy makers, investors and innovators, and employers and payers pushing the boundaries of value-based care models. Learn, innovate, network and return to your organization with actionable plans and new ideas to implement telehealth and virtual care strategies that will improve care delivery.
"Advanced" Registration available through 4/1/2022, Click here to learn more and register today! |
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Telehealth LaunchPad On Demand! |
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As mentioned in our previous newsletter, the NETRC2021 Telehealth Launchpad Conference was held in September 2021, and the majority of the 25+ conference presentations & all of the presentation slides, along with additional resources from our event Industry Partners & Sponsors are now available on the EventMobi Conference Platform! See below for information on how to access said recordings and slides, and click here to read NETRC's summary write-up on the event.
For those who attended, Click here to access the platform. For those who were unable to attend the event but are interested in viewing the recorded sessions from NETRC’s conference, contact Phonse Allen-Laney at aralaney@mcdph.org or netrc@mcd.org to discuss access!
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Featured Telehealth News
A larger news compilation can be found on the NETRC site here.
FCC Plans to Change Telecom Rate Determination for Rural Providers
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE February 22, 2022 Link
The commission is seeking comments on proposed changes to how it sets rates for the Rural Health Care Program, which supports rural provider access to broadband and other telecommunications services.
The Latest in Pandemic Telehealth Data – Access, Disparities, and Utilization
CCHP February 22, 2022 Link
As policymakers consider permanent telehealth policy changes, tracking the latest data has become increasingly important, in addition to breaking down data highlights and differences. Two new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Data Highlight reports were recently released that look at telehealth trends amongst Medicare patients during the pandemic. In addition, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report submitted to Congress in early February assessed telehealth expansion impacts related to mental healthcare access for military service members. Key findings from the CMS data include that telehealth may reduce hospital readmission rates and disparities and improve opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment access. Meanwhile the GAO report showcased the importance of telehealth education to both providers and patients in ensuring access to care via telehealth.
Telehealth Attendance Higher Than In-Person Among HIV Patients
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE February 21, 2022 Link
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth attendance rates among HIV patients were 17 percent higher than in-person visit attendance rates.
8 benefits of Telehealth
HealthcareITNews February 15, 2022 Link
Healthcare providers are faced with new challenges: balancing best-practice patient care, reworking guidelines to protect and support their personnel, and much more.
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule Deadline Approaching (3/1/22)
Telehealth.org February 15, 2022 Link
An important HIPAA deadline is coming up that behavioral health professionals must be aware of: the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule deadline. Hopefully, you have already reported more significant breaches that affected 500 or more patients. However, if your practice was breached and the incident involved less than 500 patients, now is the time to report it.
The Federal Telehealth Extension and Evaluation Act: What You Need to Know
Foley & Lardner, LLP February 15, 2022 Link
On February 7, 2022, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Telemedicine Extension and Evaluation Act, an important bipartisan legislation to ensure predictable patient access to telehealth following the end of the public health emergency, allow more time to gather data around virtual care utilization and efficacy, and avoid a sudden drop-off in access to care (known as the telehealth cliff).
New ASPE Issue Brief Addresses Audio-only vs. Live Video Use and Interaction with Healthcare Disparities
CCHP February 15, 2022 Link
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Office of Health Policy recently released a new Issue Brief titled National Survey Trends in Telehealth Use in 2021: Disparities in Utilization and Audio vs. Video Services. The analysis found a number of trends that can be helpful in understanding remaining telehealth barriers and their interaction with health care disparities. Utilizing Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (HPS) information from 2021, the study focused on differences in use between live video and audio-only telehealth modalities. Overall findings showed that telehealth use was common and utilization rates were generally similar across most demographic subgroups, except those that were uninsured. Utilization rates of live-video telehealth, however, were found to be lower among underserved populations, such as those with lower incomes and Black, Latino, and Asian respondents.
5 Telehealth Legal Issues to Watch in 2022
Telehealth.org February 14, 2022 Link
The rapid shift to reliance on digital healthcare technologies has successfully produced convenient ways to diagnose and treat patients. However, that shift comes with its share of telehealth legal issues that clinicians and practitioners must address. This article will explore the current climate of digital health regulation to inform providers of critical issues to move forward with the necessary awareness.
Executive Summary: Tracking Telehealth Changes State-by-State in Response to COVID-19 - February 2022
JDSUPRA February 14, 2022 Link
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the healthcare services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients with quick and actionable guidance on the evolving telehealth landscape, Manatt Health has developed a federal and comprehensive 50-state tracker for policy, regulatory and legal changes related to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patients with PTSD, Bipolar Disorder Engaged With Telemental Care
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE February 9, 2022 Link
FQHC patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder responded well to two telepsychiatry approaches, a new study shows.
Telehealth Update to Medicare CY2022 PFS, FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program Funding, and New Federal & State Telehealth Policy Updates
CCHP February 8, 2022 Link
CMS Releases Article on CY2022 Telehealth Update to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
UPSTATE NY HEALTH SYSTEM FINDS STRONG DEMAND FOR MOBILE HEALTHCARE
healthleaders February 8, 2022 Link
The Hudson Headwaters Health Network is seeing significant interest in its new mobile health unit, a specially designed vehicle to take healthcare right to the people.
Statekeholders Urge Federal Action on Expired Telehealth Benefits & Emergency Expansions
CCHP February 1, 2022 Link
At the end of 2021, a provision in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, which allowed patients increased access to telehealth, expired. Under the law, employees with high-deductible health plans and Health Savings Accounts (HDHP-HSAs) were able to receive telehealth benefits pre-deductible, rather than having to meet certain out-of-pocket thresholds before telehealth would be covered by their employer or health plan. On January 21, 2022, health care stakeholders sent a letter to Congressional Leaders urging them to quickly reinstate these provisions of law and ensure telehealth access is maintained for all Americans. The letter includes the citation of a survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, indicating that 96 percent of employers were utilizing that law to offer telehealth coverage pre-deductible to 32 million employees across the country.
Pressure on Congress to Solidify Telehealth Access Builds
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE February 1, 2022 Link
Two letters urging permanent telehealth reform were sent to leaders of the House and Senate as expanded telehealth access continues to be tied to the public health emergency declaration.
Hundreds of orgs ask Congress to extend telehealth waivers through 2024
HealthcareITNews February 1, 2022 Link
More than 330 stakeholders outlined several steps for charting a path toward comprehensive telemedicine reform after the public health emergency.
Telehealth Maintained Care Quality for Type 2 Diabetics During Pandemic
mHEALTHINTELLIGENCE February 1, 2022 Link
Patients who used telehealth during the pandemic for type 2 diabetes care were just as likely to achieve quality measures as patients who received in-person care before the pandemic, a study found.
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Recommended Telehealth Research/Resources
Check out the complete Telehealth Library Database on the NETRC site here.
Addressing Virtual Care Disparities for Patients with Limited English Proficiency
Tan-McGrory, A. Schwamm, L., et. al. 2022. Link
Remote Monitoring of Patient- and Family-Generated Health Data in Pediatrics
Foster, C., Schinasi, D, et. al. 2022. Link
Strategic Investments in Telehealth and Digital Tools for Health Centers, National Association of Community Health Centers & Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center. 2021. Link
State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit: Policy Considerations for States Expanding Use of Telehealth Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 2021. Link
Telehealth for opioid use disorder treatment in low-barrier clinic settings: an exploration of clinician and staff perspectives Shoshana V. Aronowitz, Eden Engel-Rebitzer, Abby Dolan,Kehinde Okeykanmi, et. al, 2021.
Harm Reduction Journal Link
Consumer Engagement in Health Care 2021 Survey Results Employee Benefit Research Institute. 2021. Link
Telephone vs. Video Visits During COVID-19: Safety-Net Provider Perspectives
,Ji Eun Chang, Zoe Lindenfeld, Stephanie L. Albert, Rachel Massar, Donna Shelley, Lorraine Kwok, Kayla Fennelly and Carolyn A. Berry 2021. JABFM Link
Changes in Virtual an In-Person Health Care Utilization in a Large Health System During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Telemedicine: Ensuring Safe, Equitable, Person-Centered Virtual Care- Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), 2021 Link
NETRC Regional Telehealth Legislation and Regulation Tracker- Center for Connected Health Policy, 2021 Link
University of New Hampshire TelePractice Center (TPC) TelePractice Training Videos- UNH TPC 2021 Link
Changes in Short-term, Long-term, and Preventive Care Delivery in US Office-Based and Telemedicine Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic Cortez C., Mansour, O., Qato, D.M., 2021 Link
FQHC Telehealth Playbook- MA FQHC Telehealth Consortium; 2021 Link
Rapid Transition to Telehealth and the Digital Divide: Implications for Primary Care Access and Equity in a Post-COVID Era .Ji E. Chang PhD, MS, Alden Y. Lai, Avni Gupta, Ann Nguyen, Arolyn Berry, Donna Shelley 2021 Link
Addressing Inequities in Older Adults’ Health: A Role for Emerging Technologies
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The Northeast Telehealth Resource Center has been made possible by grant numbers G22RH30352 and 1 U1UTH42523‐01‐00 from the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth: HRSA / DHHS. |
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