News

HHS Offers Online Courses on Telemedicine Rules and Implementation for Providers Starting in July 2020, in an effort to increase utilization of telemedicine by Medicare providers, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will offer a 10-week series of courses on telemedicine implementation and integration. Although telemedicine use has grown exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic, many ambulatory providers still lack the knowledge and skills needed to implement video-based telemedicine into their practices. To support wide adoption of telemedicine, the HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response is partnering with the ECHO Institute at the University of New Mexico and the Public Health Foundation’s TRAIN Learning Network to deliver a 10-week, virtual, peer-to-peer learning community called Telemedicine Hack. The course […]

HHS Announces Extension of Public Health Emergency Declaration On Thursday, July 23, 2020, as anticipated, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar extended for an additional 90 days the current COVID-19 public health emergency, which was set to expire on July 25. Many physicians had expressed concern about the impending deadline and the implication for various regulatory waivers implemented because of the pandemic, including those pertaining to telemedicine. Read the announcement here.

F-1 and M-1 Student and Exchange Visa Restriction Plan Rescinded by Trump Administration On July 6, 2020, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announced modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the public health crisis for the Fall 2020 semester. Specifically, SEVP announced that nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online could not take a full online course load and enter or remain in the United States. Several medical organizations submitted letters urging the Trump Administration to withdraw its modifications so that medical students seeking to study in the United States on an F-1 visa could enter or remain in the country. On July 14, 2020, the Trump Administration rescinded the directive. Read […]

Washington HCA Request to Reconsider its Denial of Re-review for Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Read the letter here