DEA Proposes Limits on Telehealth Prescriptions of Controlled Substances

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released proposed rules governing telehealth-based prescribing that extend some telehealth flexibilities but reinstate previous rules related to the virtual prescription of some controlled substances following the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, various policy changes led to a higher level of leniency in the

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Psychiatry Match Numbers Increase for 11th Straight Year

Educators say there are likely multiple reasons for the rising interest in psychiatry over a decade. But the pandemic and heightened attention to social determinants of health have dramatically raised the profile of mental health more recently. A total of 1,640 U.S. senior medical school graduates—1,253 from allopathic and 387 from osteopathic schools—matched into psychiatry

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American Telemedicine Association Launches New Advocacy Group

Several prominent organizations, like HCA Healthcare and Walmart, have joined the group as founding council members to advocate for permanent access to telehealth. As policymakers consider the numerous telehealth bills placed before them, a new advocacy organization has entered the scene: ATA Action. Launched by the American Telemedicine Association, the new trade organization will focus on ensuring individuals

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Ohio, New Jersey Governors Sign Telehealth Bills Into Law

The bills expand telehealth access, ban denial of insurance coverage, and ensure payment parity between telehealth and in-person care in the two states. December 23, 2021 – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy have signed into law bills that will expand access to telehealth in their respective states. DeWine signed the Telemedicine Expansion Act,

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CMS Expands Telehealth Coverage in Proposed 2022 Physician Fee Schedule

The proposal includes expanding Medicare coverage for telehealth services that address mental health and substance abuse issues and extending most COVID-19 freedoms until the end of 2023, as well as some coverage for FQHCs and RHCs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed 2022 Physician Fee Schedule offers some good news for telehealth advocates. The 1747-page

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Telepsychiatry: Practical Pointers and Potential Pitfalls

When meeting patients online, mental-health practitioners must confront a host of issues. During the present COVID-19 pandemic, mental-health practitioners of all disciplines are becoming accustomed to a variety of telemedicine-enabled modalities for treatment and evaluation. A growing variety of telemedicine platforms are now in use. This development has produced an explosion of articles and other documents

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Congress Targets Telehealth Coverage for Mental Health, Substance Abuse Treatment

Several bills on Capitol Hill aim to expand telehealth coverage for mental health and substance abuse services delivered via telehealth, including efforts to reduce barriers to prescribing scheduled drugs. March 15, 2021 – Congress will be taking a serious look at expanding telehealth coverage for mental health and substance abuse services this year. Last week Senators Tina

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