CMS approval another national nod to the power of telehealth

By KOFI JONES Approximately 12 million Americans utilize some type of home health care every year.  From home health aides visiting the infirmed in their homes, to physical therapy services to aide in recovery, to medical equipment being used to treat the chronically ill, home health has been a critical component of care management for decades. One of the Medicare payment requirements for these services is for the prescribing practitioner to have a “face to face” encounter with the patient within a reasonable timeframe. This has widely been viewed as a burden on patients, many of whom face mobility issues and other barriers to meeting this obligation. It has also been a barrier for our overburdened physician supply. Just recently, CMS published a new rule extending this requirement to states – stating that home healthcare matching Medicaid funds will be linked to this same requirement.  But, there’s another component of the rule which mirrors Medicare and will have a tremendously positive impact on the home health care community – the face-to-face requirement can be met through telehealth. Telehealth is increasingly being acknowledged as a vital component of our healthcare ecosystem. Thirty states mandate commercial payment for care provided through these technologies and nearly every state offers some level of telehealth payment within Medicaid. Early this month, a bipartisan bill was introduced which would greatly increase the amount of payment which exists for...
Source: The Health Care Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Featured THCB Kofi Jones Source Type: blogs