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CT scan of Ischemic stroke for telestroke reimbursement

HHS Urged to Adopt New Mexico’s Telestroke Reimbursement Program

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Over the last five years, several telestroke programs have flourished around the country, but only one has successfully garnered Medicaid coverage: New Mexico’s Access to Critical Cerebral Emergency Support Services (ACCESS) model. Now, in a bid for telestroke reimbursement, an advisory committee is suggesting that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) use the ACCESS program as a model for building a nationwide telestroke network backed by Medicare. Read more

ambulance with telemedicine reimbursement

Ambulances in Line for Telemedicine Reimbursement

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Starting early next year, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) will begin a trial program with new financial incentives, including telemedicine reimbursement, to encourage emergency medical services (EMS) to use telemedicine and transport Medicare and Medicaid patients to clinics other than the emergency room. Currently, only visits to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and dialysis centers are reimbursed, even when a lower-acuity destination may be more appropriate. The goal is two-fold: to promote a value-based payment system and to reduce unnecessary ER visits and hospitalizations. Read more

stethoscope resting on fanned-out money representing telemedicine reimbursements

What’s Next for Telemedicine Reimbursements in 2019

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The recent addition of new telemedicine Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes may have opened the door for more widespread usage of telemedicine, but it also carries implications for telemedicine reimbursements. This article outlines the some of the most likely developments for 2019 and beyond as predicted by industry analysts Akerman LLP. Read more

handing over stacks of cash

Did Medicare Overpay for Telemedicine Reimbursement?

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Amidst concerns that current levels of telemedicine reimbursement are insufficient to support the demand for telemedicine visits, a 2018 report by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) reveals that a significant portion of the Medicare telemedicine payments that have occurred were actually improper; they never should have been approved in the first place. The overpayments amounted to roughly $3.7 million—a sizable chunk of the total $13.8 million in payments that Medicare made in 2014 and 2015. The reasons for the disallowed claims were numerous and varied. Read more

brown gavel with stethoscope and books

Proposed Bill Would Boost SNF Telemedicine

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A new bipartisan bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives to permit the use of telemedicine in treating patients in long-term care centers such as skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalizations Act of 2018 (RUSH Act) is intended to reduce hospital admissions by allowing Medicare to enter into value-based care arrangements with medical groups to provide health care through telemedicine consultations; this would increase access to care in SNFs, particularly emergency care, thus reducing the need for hospital visits. Instead, SNF telemedicine would address the urgent situation on the spot. Read more

young and elderly hands cradling red heart

Aging Population Welcomes Telemedicine for Seniors

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Last winter, Medicare expanded its telemedicine coverage to make telestroke, dialysis, and home healthcare more accessible for seniors starting in 2020. Now, a recent poll shows that almost 9 out of 10 adults age 40 and over feel they would be comfortable using telemedicine for seniors in their families or for themselves—as long as the quality of care and health information privacy are as good as what they would get from an in-person visit. Read more

elderly woman at home on telemedicine visit

New Budget Deal Boosts Telemedicine Coverage

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Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed into law a bipartisan budget deal that impacts Medicare’s telemedicine coverage more than any past legislation, as described by one senator. After a brief government shutdown, Congress approved a two-year budget deal including parts of the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act, the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST) Act, and the Increasing Telehealth Access to Medicare Act. Read more

occupational therapy

Texas Considers Expanding Telemedicine Reimbursement for Workers’ Comp Cases

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Now that Texas state officials have finally opened the doors for telemedicine expansion, they certainly aren’t wasting any time: The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) has proposed an informal rule that would eliminate Medicare-based restrictions on originating sites and reimbursement for workers’ comp cases. Read more

physiotherapist helping woman

Telemedicine Can Reduce Hospital Readmissions

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As Medicare applies increasing pressure to lower hospital readmission rates, skilled nursing facilities (SNF) are finding that telemedicine may hold the key. A recent study conducted by the TRECS Institute (Targeting Revolutionary Elder Care Solutions) found that using a virtual physician service averts unnecessary transfers from SNFs to hospitals. Read more

illustration of man having stroke

Telestroke Bill Would Expand Medicare Coverage

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Congress is revisiting a bill that seeks to extend Medicare reimbursement for telestroke services across the nation. Under the Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine (FAST) Act, Medicare would cover telestroke services regardless of the patient’s location; currently, coverage only encompasses specific rural areas. Read more