Due to COVID-19, there have been many changes to telehealth and telemedicine.
CLICK HERE to see our earlier post on HIPAA and telemedicine during the pandemic.
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The regulations and the enforcement of the regulations are changing constantly due to COVID-19. One area that has seen a great deal of change is telehealth.
One major change that has occurred in the telehealth landscape is the increase in funding.
Congress recently enacted a bill that increases access to Medicare reimbursements for telehealth services to reflect the practical changes occurring in light of COVID-19.
Additionally, the Health Resources and Services Administration awarded $20 Million to help providers and families. These funds will increase access to telehealth for providers, pregnant women, children, adolescents and families.
Another change to telehealth is the expansion of covered services.
Some of the changes enacted by CMS include:
- Payments for telephone visits (audio only) have increased and are retroactive to March 1. This change is expected to help those that do not have smart phones or the ability to have video for telemedicine services.
- Hospitals can bill for certain remote services to Medicare patients
- Telehealth services covered by Medicare now extend to those provided by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists.
Understandably, amid the pandemic, telehealth has gathered a lot of attention and continues to evolve.
If you have questions regarding the recent telehealth changes, or the impact on your practice, let us know.
It is likely that telehealth regulations will continue to change throughout the pandemic and following the pandemic.
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