Summary
Wynne Health Group’s telehealth issue brief provides an overview of telehealth policy and reimbursement beginning with Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) telehealth coverage and payment policies to other technology-based, non-face-to-face services related to but distinct from Medicare “telehealth services” – such as chronic care management (CCM), remote patient monitoring (RPM) and virtual care services.
The issue brief also addresses new telehealth flexibilities in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, as well as current delivery system reform initiatives, including the flexibilities leveraged by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Innovation Center via demonstration authority. Additionally, key Medicaid telehealth reimbursement issues are addressed, as well as broader state landscape issues at-play in the telehealth arena (e.g., licensure). We also highlight other non-Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) telehealth initiatives that may be of interest to your organization.
Finally, we offer some concluding remarks about potential next steps on the federal telehealth front, including forthcoming reports to Congress delineating Medicaid telehealth recommendations (due this fall) and prospects of telehealth provisions being included in upcoming “opioids 2.0,” rural health or other moving legislative vehicles later this year.