Category: Telehealth Medicine

Upcoming Event – Virtual Nursing: Innovations to Mitigate a Healthcare Workforce Crisis, April 17

March 25, 2025

Upcoming Event – Virtual Nursing: Innovations to Mitigate a Healthcare Workforce Crisis, April 17

In this virtual event, a panel of experts will highlight innovations in virtual nursing as a tool to improve the efficiencies of the healthcare workforce.

  • The Medical University of South Carolina’s Center for Telehealth will present its successes using virtual nursing to reduce patient harm and alleviate administrative burdens from bedside nursing.
  • The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Center for Telehealth will highlight the application of artificial intelligence to virtual nursing.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, April 17, 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Telehealth and Cancer Care Best Practice Guide

March 25, 2025

Telehealth and Cancer Care Best Practice Guide

Each year, 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with – and 50,000 die from – colorectal cancer, making it the leading cause of cancer death among Americans aged 18 to 49. This Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, learn how to integrate telehealth as part of your cancer care programs.

Click Here to Read the Best Practice Guide

Telehealth During National Nutrition Month

March 25, 2025

Telehealth During National Nutrition Month

Telehealth can be a useful tool for managing nutrition. This National Nutrition Month, learn how to build a telehealth workflow to help your patients stay on top of their nutrition care.

Click Here to Learn More

Telehealth Policy Update

March 25, 2025

Telehealth Policy Update

Recent legislation authorized an extension of many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities. This includes:

  • Waiving geographic and originating site requirements through September 30, 2025.
  • Allowing eligible practitioners to furnish telehealth services through September 30, 2025.
  • Allowing Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics to serve as distant site providers through September 30, 2025.
  • Delaying in-person requirements for tele-mental health services through September 30, 2025.
  • Allowing audio-only telehealth through September 30, 2025.

Click Here to Explore Telehealth Policy Updates

Diabetes and Other Telehealth Resources from The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth

February 25, 2025

Diabetes and Other Telehealth Resources from The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in every ten people in America have diabetes and an additional 96 million people are living with pre-diabetes.

Telehealth and telemedicine can be effective tools to manage diabetes. Telehealth and technologies for diabetes management include:

  • Live video (synchronous telemedicine),
  • Smartphones and mobile applications, and
  • Remote monitoring using asynchronous technology to share information with health care providers.

Click Here to read how to use telehealth in this Best Practice Guide

Patient Resource: How to Use Telehealth for Diabetes Care

Telehealth helps patients with diabetes track and manage their health. Share this page with patients so they can learn more about how they can use telehealth for diabetes care.

Click Here to Learn More

Tip Sheet: Telehealth Privacy Tips for Providers

Providers can take steps to ensure the privacy and security of patient health information. This is essential for patients to feel comfortable using telehealth.

Click Here to Learn More

Telehealth Resources

Telehealth.HHS.gov has a variety of telehealth resources for health care providers, including doctors, practitioners, and hospital staff. These include tips on how to get started planning workflows, telehealth policy and billing, and licensure.

Click Here to Find Telehealth Resources

CMS Provides Billing Instructions for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) Telecommunications Add-On Codes

February 18, 2025

CMS Provides Billing Instructions for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) Telecommunications Add-On Codes

In the 2025 Final Physician Fee Schedule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized important updates for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) aligning with regulations previously adopted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These changes aim to enhance access to care for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) by expanding telehealth options.

Key Updates include:

  • Periodic assessments may now be conducted via audio-only technology on a permanent basis if live video is unavailable, as long as they meet all applicable SAMHSA and DEA requirements.
  • The OTPs intake add-on code (G2076) can now be billed when using live video for the initiation of methadone treatment.

As a result of these changes, CMS has updated its Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) webpage to reflect proper billing practices. OTPs should use the following HCPCS add-on codes when treating eligible patients:

  • G2076 – Used to initiate buprenorphine or methadone treatment via two-way interactive audio-video or audio-only technology when video is unavailable.
  • G2077 – covers periodic patient assessments via audio-only technology when video is unavailable.
  • G2080 – Applies to additional counseling or therapy provided via audio-only technology when video is unavailable.

For more details on the finalized policy, review the 2025 Final Physician Fee Schedule.

To learn more about billing and G-codes for OTPs, visit the CMS Opioid Treatment Program webpage.

Click Here to go to 2025 Final Physician Fee Schedule

Click Here to go to CMS Opioid Treatment Program webpage.

Telehealth Resources for Providers and Patients

February 18, 2025

Telehealth Resources for Providers and Patients

Please click on the links below to access these telehealth resources for both patients and providers:

RTRC Telehealth Policy Brief Highlights Need for More Health Equity Focused Research

January 7, 2025

RTRC Telehealth Policy Brief Highlights Need for More Health Equity Focused Research

In December 2024, the Rural Telehealth Research Center (RTRC) released a Research and Policy Brief titled, The Role of Relaxed Telehealth Policy on Health Equity in Telehealth Utilization and Outcomes During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: A Living Systematic Review.

The brief underscores the significant telehealth policy changes that have occurred since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as the foundation for enabling the ability to better understand the variety of implications of increased telehealth use, such as access to care, health outcomes, and cost. For this study in particular, the RTRC sought to conduct a systematic review of the ways in which telehealth has been shown to address health disparities.

Click Here to read Policy Brief

Patient Resource: Can I Use Telehealth for Emergency Care?

January 7, 2025

Patient Resource: Can I Use Telehealth for Emergency Care?

There are many ways that telehealth can help with emergency medical care. Share this resource with patients so they can learn the ways that telehealth can support care during medical emergencies.

Topics Covered:

  • How is telehealth used in emergencies?
  • What are the benefits of telehealth for emergency care?
  • What do I need to use telehealth?
  • How do I prepare for my telehealth appointment?

Click Here to learn more