Right before Christmas, the U.S. Congress approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Within this $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations bill are a few significant developments affecting telehealth. Here are three things to know about the telehealth-related laws included in the bill.
A Kaiser Health News (KHN) article tells the story of Medicare beneficiary Beverly Dunn. She scheduled her annual physical exam, believing that Medicare would cover the checkup. Then Dunn received the bill and quickly learned the shocking piece of information many patients discover: Medicare does not cover annual physical exams.
Arthritis is probably one of the most bothersome health issues patients face. Classified as both degenerative and chronic, arthritis not only produces pain, but it can also increase symptoms of anxiety and depression, impact independence, contribute to sleep problems, and lead to a host of other chronic health issues due to neglectful self-management of the disorder. Fortunately, those with the two most common types of arthritis — osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis — are eligible for participation in both chronic care management (CCM) and remote patient monitoring (RPM) services. These services can be quality-of-life difference-makers for those with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. With the wraparound care provided via the CCM and RPM care models, arthritis patients will receive the connected support they need to better manage symptoms and slow disease progression. Specifically, participation in these types of programs will help patients improve their self-management and coping skills. This can lead to decreased pain and physical harm, helping arthritis patients maintain — or even increase — activity levels and better preserve their independent lifestyle.
There were a number of significant changes affecting the delivery and billing of remote care management in the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule, as we covered in this webinar. One of them was the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalizing the coverage for chronic pain management and treatment services (CPM) — new services that were introduced in the 2023 Medicare PFS proposed rule.
Medicare's annual wellness visit (AWV) has had a rocky ride since its introduction in 2010 and started in 2011 as part of the Affordable Care Act. As with many big healthcare changes, the new service was met with resistance and steeped in confusion, leading to terribly slow uptake and obstacles that still unjustly plague the service more than a decade later. When Medicare beneficiaries do not receive their AWV, this is not only a disservice to these patients, but practices and the healthcare system as a whole lose out on important and impactful benefits.
Q&A With Dr. Arun Chandra Earlier in the year, Arun Chandra, MD, joined Prevounce as the company's clinical lead. In this interview, he explains why he is passionate about chronic care management and healthcare technology, the role he believes healthcare technology should be playing in supporting patients with chronic conditions, and why he welcomed the opportunity to join Prevounce.
Considering establishing chronic care management (CCM) program? Read on to gain a better understanding of CCM as a concept, the value of chronic care management and the steps you take that will better ensure you develop a strong CCM program that meets your patients' and organization's short- and long-term needs.
As a practitioner, you understand how beneficial a cardiovascular risk assessment is for your patients. While assessing and treating your patient's cardiac risk factors is beneficial, it can eat up one of your most valuable resources: time. Finding time-saving tools that you can trust and rely on forcompliance and accuracy is almost as important as performing the risk assessment itself.
Diabetes is quickly becoming one of the more prolific chronic diseases in the United States. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that diabetes has climbed up the cause of death rankings in recent years and is now the number seven most common cause of death. Diabetes affects more than 37 million Americans. This translates to about 11% of the U.S. population who need to deal with the health-related fallout of diabetes, costing them both health and life longevity as well as billions of dollars.
I'm sure we're all aware of the American way of life — the one where many of us actively partake in regular bad habits like smoking, drinking, consuming unhealthy foods, and look past our largely inactive lifestyles where only about 23% of us actually get the recommended 150 minutes of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise per week. While the impact of these not-so-great choices may be out of sight and therefore out of mind for younger people, the reality is that the delayed effects are just a ticking time-bomb of chronic disease waiting to happen.
