Posts Tagged ‘telemedicine services’
Telemedicine Services Are Here to Stay Thanks to COVID-19, Shows Telehealth Billing Statistics
The number of telehealth visits via real-time audio-video communication, as well as audio-only phone calls, skyrocketed in 2020, telehealth billing statistics show, due to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 and stay-at-home orders nationwide. Nearly half (43.5%) of Medicare primary visits were done via telehealth in April, compared to just 0.1% in February prior to the public health emergency (ASPE-HHS, 2020).
Read MoreTelemedicine Guidelines & COVID-19: Coding in Response to the 1135 Waiver Authority
Due to the stay-at-home orders put in effect by state governors and the highly contagious COVID-19 virus, CMS has expanded coverage for its Medicare recipients through the use of telemedicine (CMS, 2020). According to CMS, “The benefits are part of the broader effort by CMS and the White House Task Force to ensure that all Americans – particularly those at high-risk of complications from the virus that causes the disease COVID-19 – are aware of easy-to-use, accessible benefits that can help keep them healthy while helping to contain the community spread of this virus” (2020).
Read MoreCMS Increases List of Payable Medicare Telemedicine Services
Adapting to the influx of telehealth services in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, CMS has adjusted the “List of services payable under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule when furnished via telehealth” in order to provide as much support and care as possible (2020). In addition, CMS issued updated criteria for risk adjustment of Medicare telemedicine services, as well as guidelines on how to bill for telemedicine.
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