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Chaunte Causey

Dec 15
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New Medicare physician fee schedule expands telehealth services

By News

By Carissa Mosness, Women’s World 

Physicians who treat people on Medicare just got a major update: They will be getting a 2.5 percent pay increase thanks to the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. It officially takes effect January 1, 2026, and it’s not only a change for doctors. It’s expected to impact patients significantly, especially those who rely on telehealth services. We break down how the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule will impact patients and physicians below.

What to know about the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Physician Fee Schedule determines the payment rates for medical professions who treat people on Medicare Part B during a calendar year. In 2026, the rate will increase by 2.5 percent. But that’s not as beneficial for doctors as one might expect.

“That physicians are not facing a reduction in reimbursements – as we have in the past – is a significant positive for 2026 and a win for patients’ access to care. Yet, this one-time correction does not keep up with increasing costs, and private practices across the country are expressing concern this rule would further put them at a disadvantage merely for treating patients at a hospital or ambulatory surgery center,” American Medical Association (AMA) President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, said in a statement.  Due to that, there are concerns that people on Medicare won’t receive the highest quality of care because there simply won’t be enough resources.

How the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule affects patients

Along with the potential for low-quality care, one of the biggest changes being made by the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is access to telehealth. With these new rules, physicians will no longer have to limit how many virtual appointments they take for patients in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. That means patients in those facilities can receive medical care from their homes, and not traveling to a doctor’s office is a huge benefit to these patients.

This new rule will also take effect on January 1, 2026-but it could change if Congress decides to end the telehealth program altogether at the end of January. Currently the government is only planning to allow the remote medical service to continue until January 30, as outlined in the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act,  meaning that while this news is helpful it might not last.

“Telehealth has been a lifeline since the pandemic, giving providers the ability to reach patients, especially in rural or underserved areas who lack easy access to in-person care,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. “If these provisions are not extended further, rural residents and individuals with limited mobility could face serious challenges, including long travel times and reduced access to care that telehealth once helped eliminate.”

As of publication, Congress has yet to meet to discuss if they will continue to fund Medicare’s telehealth program for the rest of 2026. During that meeting they will also discuss how they will continue to fund other programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Social Security.

Dec 15
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Medicare coverage to change on January 30, 2026: what will happen to telehealth flexibilities

By News

By Suzanne Blake, Newsweek.com

 

Medicare coverage is changing next month as telehealth flexibilities largely disappear.

The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act extended telehealth options that were enacted during the coronavirus pandemic but ended during the government shutdown.

A financial literacy expert told Newsweek, in part, “The extension through January 31, 2026, ensures Medicare recipients will continue to have coverage in this area and even retroactively in the time that the extension had yet to be passed.”

Why It Matters

Medicare telehealth options allow patients to access health care while still at home, which is beneficial for many elderly Americans who may find it difficult to travel to any actual office or have limited doctors in their area.

What To Know

The Medicare telehealth flexibilities will continue through January 30. Under the CMS enrollment requirements, distant-site practitioners can deliver telehealth services from their home and often do not need to report their home address on their Medicare enrollment application.

“Under the CR, certain telehealth services have been retroactively restored through January 30th. This means individuals who paid out-of-pocket during the lapse in coverage may now be eligible for refunds,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek.

“In these cases, practitioners must refund any overpayments to beneficiaries and resubmit claims directly to Medicare. Any claims that were previously returned during the lapse period are now eligible for payment and should be submitted during this extension window.”

More than 66 million Americans rely on Medicare for health coverage each year. That includes many rural patients who depend on telehealth, which became increasingly popular during the coronavirus pandemic.

Robert Hoyer, a Colorado-based doctor specializing in cancer, started a petition among others to stop Medicare from limiting home telehealth coverage earlier this year.

“For patients living with a cancer diagnosis or chronic conditions, telehealth provides an important link to their care team. Telehealth also helps alleviate costly travel to medical appointments, time off work, and child care expenses,” Hoyer wrote in his Change.org petition.

What People Are Saying

Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: “Telehealth has been a lifeline since the pandemic, giving providers the ability to reach patients, especially in rural or underserved areas who lack easy access to in-person care. If these provisions are not extended further, rural residents and individuals with limited mobility could face serious challenges, including long travel times and reduced access to care that telehealth once helped eliminate.”

Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “During the pandemic, telehealth became a gamechanger for millions of Americans needing medical assistance, but either not able or concerned to go into a medical facility. In the years following it, telehealth has become increasingly popular, especially in rural communities that have seen numerous hospital and clinic closures and rely on those services more heavily. The extension through January 31, 2026 ensures Medicare recipients will continue to have coverage in this area and even retroactively in the time that the extension had yet to be passed.”

What Happens Next

After January 30, the telehealth flexibilities will no longer be permissible, but it’s possible that Congress could extend them further.

Medicare is also implementing an artificial intelligence pilot in six states next year. Several outpatient services, including orthopedic, spinal, and other procedures,  now require prior authorization, and those requests will be supported by AI tools operated by private contractors.

“That’s a material departure from how original Medicare has historically worked and brings it closer to the utilization management frameworks seniors typically associate with Medicare Advantage,” Ganesh Padmanabhan, founder and CEO of Autonomize AI, told Newsweek.

“In the near term, patients are going to feel this as added friction: more documentation, more ‘Is this authorized?’ conversations, and a real risk of delays if the underlying rules or incentives aren’t designed well. Prior authorization already slows care today, and simply adding AI on top of a flawed process won’t solve that.”

Dec 11
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Climbing Back Up the Telehealth Cliff. Congress Extends Medicare Flexibilities Through 30 January 2026

By News

From The National Law Review, Written by Darlene S. Davis, Cindy L. Ortega Ramos, K&L Gates LLP

The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026 (H.R. 5371) (CR) was signed into law on 12 November 2025, thereby ending the federal-government shutdown that started 1 October 2025. Of particular significance to healthcare providers, the legislation includes a short-term extension of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities that had been in place since the COVID-19 public-health emergency, but lapsed during the period of the shutdown.

Extended Telehealth Flexibilities

Division F, Title II of the CR includes Section 6208, which extends certain Medicare telehealth flexibilities through 30 January 2026. Although the telehealth provisions in the CR do not contain an express-retroactive effective date, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has confirmed the extension applies retroactively as part of its issuance of updated telehealth FAQ. The FAQ are dated 14 November 2025, but were released on 20 November 2025, and at the time of this publication, the URL includes a reference to 26 November 2025, suggesting that they have been updated since the initial release.

Updated Telehealth FAQ on Practitioner Home Addresses

CMS’ updated FAQ also clarifies enrollment requirements for practitioners who furnish telehealth services from home. In FAQ 15, CMS confirms that distant-site practitioners may deliver telehealth services from their home, and in many cases are not required to report their home address on their Medicare enrollment application. Practitioners who provide telehealth services from home but maintain a separate physical-practice location do not need to enroll their home address; they may continue to enroll and bill using their physical-practice location as if the encounter were furnished in person.

CMS explains that virtual-only telehealth practitioners, whose sole practice location is their home, must report their home address as a practice location. CMS instructs these practitioners to designate the home address as a “home office for administrative/telehealth use only” on their enrollment application, which will allow CMS to suppress the street address from the provider’s profile page on the CMS Care Compare website. Practitioners may also contact the Quality Payment Program service center to request suppression of additional identifying information, including the address and photo number, from the page.

The issuance of this FAQ through guidance is consistent with CMS’ statement in the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (CMS-1832-F) (Final Rule), where CMS noted that “in the future any updates to this policy will be issued via subregulatory guidance.” CMS also noted in the Final Rule “that a separate Medicare enrollment is required for each State in which the practitioner furnishes and intends to bill for covered Medicare services.”

CMS Guidance on Processing Telehealth Claims

Following expiration of the flexibilities on 1 October 2025, CMS instructed Medicare Administrative Contractors to return certain telehealth claims pending congressional action. CMS has issued guidance explaining how those claims should be handled in light of the CR’s retroactive extension of telehealth flexibilities. CMS notes that the claims are now payable, provided they otherwise meet all Medicare coverage and billing requirements, and practitioners may resubmit them. CMS also confirms that practitioners may submit any other telehealth claims they had held in anticipation of possible legislative action.

CMS further encourages practitioners to identify beneficiaries who were charged out of pocket for telehealth services furnished during the lapse period, but that are now retroactively payable. In these cases, CMS instructs practitioners to refund any overpayments to beneficiaries and instead submit the applicable claims to Medicare.

Key Considerations for Providers

  • Certain Medicare telehealth flexibilities have been retroactively restored through 30 January 2026.
  • CMS issued updated FAQ on telehealth, including addressing when practitioners’ home addresses must be listed and how they may be suppressed from CMS’ public-facing websites.
  • Medicare telehealth claims returned during the lapse with CARC 16 or RARC M77 are now payable and may be submitted if they meet applicable Medicare requirements.
  • Providers should identify beneficiaries billed during the lapse, submit the claims to Medicare, and refund any overpayments to beneficiaries.

Original Article: Short-Term Extension of Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities

Dec 10
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Telehealth Prescribers Urge Feds to Act Quickly on Virtual Rx

By News

By Andrea Fox, HealthcareITNews.com

 

A fourth temporary extension of pandemic-era virtual care flexibilities is pending review at the federal Office of Management and Budget. And ATA Action, the advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association – along with 182 telehealth stakeholders – is asking both OMB and the Drug Enforcement Administration to act quickly prevent avoidable lapses in treatment and protect continuity of care for millions who rely on these telehealth services.

“With only 25 days remaining before these critical telemedicine authorities expire, patients and providers are facing unacceptable uncertainty and the real risk of care disruptions,” these organizations urged in a letter sent to OMB Director Russell Vought and DEA Administrator Terrance Cole.

WHY IT MATTERS

Introduced during President Donald Trump’s first term, telemedicine waivers that allow access to controlled substances for millions of out-of-reach patients have reduced delays in treatment and improved outcomes, the telehealth stakeholders said in their Dec. 5 letter.

“These flexibilities have been essential for maintaining continuity of care, particularly for those with mental and behavioral health needs, over the past five years,” they said.

With days remaining before the authorities expire on Dec. 31, patients and providers face “unacceptable uncertainty and the real risk of care disruptions,” Alexis Apple, ATA’s director of federal affairs and ATA Action’s head of federal government affairs, said in a statement.

“Telehealth and virtual care have become a critical part of care delivery for millions of Americans,” she said.

Extending prescribing flexibilities so telehealth patients can access needed medications without requiring an in-person visit permanently depends in large part on creating special registrations for the remote prescribing of controlled substances.

“We have seen firsthand how technology-enabled care strengthens the provider-patient relationship, increases adherence to treatment plans and helps patients lead healthier lives,” ATA Action and stakeholders told Vought and Cole.

THE LARGER TREND

Last year, the DEA and the U.S. Health and Human Services announced a third waiver extension, citing more than 38,000 comments and a need to “carefully consider the input received” before promulgating a final set of telemedicine regulations.

Congress has, however, long required DEA to establish a special registration process that balances patient access with appropriate safeguards against misuse.

In January, DEA released a plan, but ATA Action and other groups quickly voiced concerns. Then, in February, the Alliance for Connected Care asked U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to intervene and toss out the DEA’s proposed e-prescribing rules.

Telemedicine providers and advocates said the proposed rules are rife with agency overreach and should not dictate how healthcare practitioners make decisions.

By March, DEA and HHS said they would postpone new telemedicine prescribing rules until the end of the year. Stakeholders then reminded the agency in July about the need to move forward with their work on creating a special registration.

“Authorized in the 2008 Ryan Haight Act and reinforced by the 2018 SUPPORT Act, this process remains unfulfilled after 17 years,” ATA Action and its coalition said in their new letter to the OMB and DEA leaders, urging them to work with Congress toward a meaningful and long-term resolution.

“A thoughtful special registration framework would give providers the ability to care for patients responsibly while ensuring DEA has the tools it needs to prevent inappropriate prescribing.”

“We continue to encourage DEA to fully engage with stakeholders and collect medical provider feedback on safeguards that mitigate real-world risks of diversion and enhance access to critical lifesaving prescriptions for individuals with mental health conditions, substance use disorder and other chronic conditions, while maintaining the highest standards for patient safety,” Apple added.

ON THE RECORD

“This progress must not be undone,” ATA Action and telehealth stakeholders said in their letter urging action before the end of the year. “Any delay in the DEA policymaking will create confusion among patients, cancellations and abrupt treatment gaps.”

 

Original Article:

Dec 08
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New data details how telehealth use varies by physician specialty

By News

By Tanya Albert Henry, The American Medical Association

 

The percentage of physicians using telehealth in 2024 remained at levels that were nearly triple the rate they were before the onset of the 2020 COVID-19 public health emergency when physicians and patients flocked to the virtual modality, a new AMA report shows.

In 2024, 71.4% of physicians reported using telehealth in their practices weekly, up from the 25.1% who reported that in 2018 and just below the 79% reported in 2020.

But some physicians are far likelier than others to use videoconferencing for patient visits on a weekly basis, according to the AMA Policy Research Perspectives report, “Patient-Facing Telehealth: Use Is Higher Than Pre-Pandemic But With Great Variation Across Physician Specialties” (PDF).

Psychiatrists were the most likely to have provided a video visit in the prior week, with 85.9% reporting having used it. They also were the specialists to rely on videoconferencing most heavily, with 56.9% reporting using it for more than 20% of weekly visits. Meanwhile, 68.2% of psychiatrists used videoconferencing or audio-only forms of telehealth for more than 20% of weekly visits.

Of all the physicians survey, 15.7% reported using telehealth (video or audio-only) for more than 20% of their weekly visits.

Here are top five other physician specialties using telehealth the most, ranked by the share with more than 20% of visits being delivered via telehealth (video or audio-only):

  • Neurology—32.2%.
  • Endocrinology—24.2%.
  • Gastroenterology—20.4%
  • Family and general medicine—20.1%
  • Urology—18.7%.

Here are the five physician specialties using telehealth the least, ranked by the share with more than 20% of visits being delivered via telehealth (video or audio-only):

  • Ophthalmology—1.8%.
  • Dermatology—3.7%.
  • Emergency medicine—4.3%.
  • Orthopedic surgery—4.7%.
  • Anesthesiology—6.2%.

The AMA Policy Research Perspectives report comes at a time when there is relatively little published research examining how frequently patients and physicians use telehealth and how use differs across specialties. Data for the AMA Policy Research Perspectives report comes from the AMA’s nationally representative Physician Practice Benchmark Survey and Medicare claims data, which the AMA has conducted on a biennial basis since 2012.

From AI implementation to digital health adoption and EHR usability, the AMA is fighting to make technology work for physicians, ensuring that it is an asset to doctors. That includes recently launching the AMA Center for Digital Health and AI to give physicians a powerful voice in shaping how AI and other digital tools are harnessed to improve the patient and clinician experience.

Medicare data corroborates survey

Based on the 5% Medicare claims data for each quarter in 2024, the report found similar telehealth use patterns among physicians. Unlike the Physician Practice Benchmark Survey data, Medicare claims can be limited to only services that are eligible to be billed as telehealth, allowing researchers to compare telehealth use across specialties where it can be billed as such.

In 2024, 3.7% of telehealth eligible spending for services provided by physicians was billed as telehealth. The data showed that—similar to the benchmark survey—psychiatrists, at 31.2%, had the highest share of telehealth eligible spending that was billed as telehealth services. Among other specialists, those among the top were endocrinologists with a share at 8.5%, neurologists at 7.3% and gastroenterologists at 6.6%.

The new report—written by Carol K. Kane, PhD, who directs economic and health policy research at the AMA—also details trends in use of telehealth by practice ownership and why some physicians opt against using telehealth to provide care.

Dec 03
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PCC Featured on Live 5 News: Understanding Seasonal Sadness and How Telehealth Can Help

By News

By: Chaunte’ Causey, Communications Manager, PCC

Our Telehealth Coordinator, Kamryn Williams, LPN, joined Bretta Kittrell, FNP, with Bamberg Family Practice on Live 5 News to discuss seasonal sadness, the signs to watch for, and how telehealth can make it easier to stay connected to care during the winter months.

Read and watch the full story here:
https://www.live5news.com/2025/12/03/health-experts-urge-awareness-seasonal-depression-affects-south-carolinians/

Nov 17
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Shutdown Ends: Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Extended Through January 30, 2026

By News

Article from Telehealth.org 

By: Julia Ivanova, PhD, MA

Takeaways

  • The Senate passed the continuing resolution (CR) on November 10, 2025, and the President signed it on November 12, 2025, ending the 42-day shutdown and extending key Medicare telehealth flexibilities.
  • Flexibilities that continue under the CR include home as the originating site for non-behavioral care, audio-only Medicare visits, expanded providers, and federally qualified health center (FQHC)/ rural health center (RHC) distant-site status.
  • With the legal lapse bridged, Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) are expected to resume and pay retroactively for claims impacted by telehealth services provided on or after October 1, 2025. Practices should watch for further CMS/MAC guidance.
  • The in-person requirement for behavioral telehealth visits for Medicare beneficiaries is delayed until January 30, 2026.

Government Shutdown Ends With Passage of H.R. 5371

The government shutdown has ended. After the Senate passed the package on November 10, 2025 (60–40), the House cleared the measure and sent it to the President, who signed the Continuing Resolution (H.R. 5371) into law on November 12, 2025, reopening the government and extending select flexibilities.

Key Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Extended Through January 2026

The continuing resolution (CR) extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities, which were previously extended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, through January 30, 2026. The following flexibilities are now extended:

  • Home as the originating site and no geographic restrictions for Medicare non-behavioral telehealth visits
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Centers as distant-site providers
  • Audio-only non-behavioral telehealth visits
  • Telehealth meets the face-to-face recertification requirements for hospice care
  • Expanded provider eligibility for general telehealth (i.e., occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists)
  • The Acute Hospital Care at Home program
  • Delayed in-person visit requirements for behavioral telehealth visits

As shown above, with the CR’s new end date, the behavioral health in-person visit requirement timeline aligns with the extension window. Any clarification or additional guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be included in our follow-up coverage.

Retroactive Medicare Claim Payments Expected

Though there is no specific wording, as previously mentioned, the writing of the CR intends to ensure retroactive payment for Medicare claims. Taken together with the CR’s new January 30, 2026 date, the affected Medicare telehealth flexibilities are now treated, in legal effect, as continuing through the lapse, which supports retroactive claims processing.

News coverage and telehealth advocates, such as ATA Action, have already reported that Medicare telehealth claims since October 1 will be processed and paid retroactively. We therefore expect Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to begin releasing and reprocessing the impacted telehealth claims. We will provide updates again as the CMS issues any further operational instructions.

What Clinicians Should Do Now

If you have Medicare telehealth claims dated October 1, 2025, or later, you can prepare to submit them under the restored authorities. Continue to watch MLN Connects for code-level or batching instructions.

Looking Ahead: Building Stability for Telehealth in 2026

This shutdown has underscored that the “telehealth cliff” is a genuine concern, disrupting clinicians, patients, and organizations. We look to proposed legislation, such as the CONNECT for Health Act and the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2025, for more consistency in how telehealth policy is handled. Until those individual bills are passed through Congress, telehealth stakeholders will need to continue planning how their practices will adapt to these short-term extensions of telehealth flexibilities.

Nov 14
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Legislators Discuss Telehealth, Provider Restrictions, and Rural Health Funding at the Telehealth Summit

By News

By: Chaunte’ Causey, Communications Manager, PCC

Charleston, SC – At the 13th Annual Telehealth Summit of South Carolina, lawmakers highlighted both the state’s progress in virtual care and the policy changes needed to strengthen access.
Sen. Deon Tedder stressed how telehealth helps patients who face transportation challenges, long work hours, or mental health stigma — and earned applause for calling for fair reimbursement for providers delivering the same services virtually.
Sen. Tom Davis cautioned that restrictive scope-of-practice rules for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other advanced practitioners could put South Carolina at a disadvantage for upcoming federal rural health funding.
Rep. Heath Sessions shared how repeated prior authorization delays affect patients, including his son, and noted that new legislation next session aims to reduce those barriers.
Their discussion reinforced the growing role of telehealth in expanding access statewide — and the need for strategic policy updates to support it.
Read the full article from The Post & Courier:
https://www.postandcourier.com/health/sc-restrictions-rural-health-funding-telehealth-prescriptions/article_7f2b5368-8df9-413b-a968-d26b47c85f92.html

Nov 13
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PCC Takes Part in Richard Carroll Elementary School PTO Fall Festival

By News

By: Chaunte’ Causey, Communications Manager, PCC

Bamberg, SC – On November 7, 2025, Palmetto Care Connections team members Caroline Warren and Kamryn Williams attended the Richard Carroll Elementary School PTO Fall Festival with Bretta Kittrell, FNP from Bamberg Family Practice. The team hosted a fun and interactive table with a game for students and shared flyers and clinic cards highlighting local School-Based Telehealth services and clinic hours. The event brought together about 200 people for an evening of family fun, learning, and community connection.

 

Nov 13
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Connecting Care During Diabetes Awareness Month

By News

By: Chaunte’ Causey, Communications Manager, PCC

More than 37 million Americans live with diabetes, and thousands of South Carolinians manage this chronic condition every day. November is American Diabetes Awareness Month, a time to highlight the importance of early detection, consistent monitoring, and ongoing support for those affected.

Through telehealth, managing diabetes has become more convenient and accessible than ever before. With virtual appointments, patients can stay connected to their healthcare providers without the need for frequent in-person visits—an especially valuable tool for those in rural areas.

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) allows providers to track blood sugar levels in real time, adjust treatment plans promptly, and help patients stay on target between appointments. Combined with nutrition counseling and educational support available online, telehealth gives patients more control over their health and peace of mind knowing their care team is just a video call away.

Telehealth is transforming how diabetes care is delivered—offering convenience, connection, and confidence to patients statewide. Palmetto Care Connections is proud to support the providers making that possible.

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