Last week, new legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would require Medicare to reimburse certain telehealth services post the public health emergency period. If passed, the bipartisan Helping Ensure Access to Local TeleHealth Act of 2020 or HEALTH Act of 2020 (the “HEALTH Act of 2020”) would codify Medicare reimbursement and allow reimbursement for telehealth services provided by federally qualified health centers (“FQHCs”) and rural health clinics (“RHCs”).
Continue Reading Introducing the HEALTH ACT: Expanding Medicare Reimbursement
Federal Legislation
In a Unanimous Vote, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Makes it Onto the Legislative Calendar
As previously discussed in our post from September 2017, the push for a response to the opioid crisis is gaining momentum. Enter the “Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018.”
On May 7, 2018, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 (the “Bill”) was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar after a unanimous vote out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee just weeks before on April 24. A showing of legislative commitment and intent, the Bill begins to tackle many of the key issues underlying and exacerbating the epidemic, though stakeholders remain concerned as to whether it goes far enough in light of the magnitude and complexity of the crisis.
Continue Reading In a Unanimous Vote, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Makes it Onto the Legislative Calendar