Telehealth Rules Temporarily Changing
Due to the COVID-19 emergency, CMS has temporarily relaxed rules regarding telehealth; Medicare will pay for E&M encounters at the same rate as in-person visits. The rule also temporarily suspends HIPAA rules enforcement to allow the use of readily-available technologies, such as FaceTime or Skype on smartphones.
Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker went a step further, and issued an array of emergency measures, requiring ALL PAYERS regulated by the MA Division of Insurance to pay for telehealth services at a rate not lower than in-person methods.
Other states and payers will likely follow . . . Telehealth reimbursement is evolving daily.
While you can’t do a procedure via telemedicine, it provides the means to serve a portion of your patients from their home, keeping both them and your staff safer and reducing the major financial hit that practices across the country are already experiencing.
Eagle can assist, A to Z, with rapid setup of a telehealth capability. Because of the emergency, we are offering our services at a discounted rate. Please contact us if we can be of assistance during this challenging time.
Note: This is an ever-evolving story as the pandemic continues. Stay tuned for up-to-date information, and STAY HEALTHY!