In an effort to mitigate the novel coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. Administration announced that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will expand its Medicare telehealth coverage to allow more beneficiaries to receive a wider range of services from their doctors without the need to travel to a healthcare facility. Medicare will temporarily pay clinicians to offer virtual care services residing across the country.
“The Trump Administration is taking swift and bold action to give patients greater access to care through telehealth during the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Administrator Seema Verma. “These changes allow seniors to communicate with their doctors without having to travel to a healthcare facility so that they can limit risk of exposure and spread of this virus. Clinicians on the frontlines will now have greater flexibility to safely treat our beneficiaries.”
Prior to this announcement, Medicare was only allowed to pay clinicians for a smaller range of telehealth services, such as routine visits but only in certain circumstances. Before, beneficiaries receiving such services must live in rural areas and travel to a local medical facility in order to obtain telehealth services from a doctor in a remote location. They weren’t allowed to receive the services in their home.
But now, health care professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, and licensed clinical social workers have been given the go signal to provide telehealth service to Medicare patients in any healthcare facility. This includes a physician’s office, hospital, nursing home or rural health clinic, as well as from their homes, as per the CMS.
Medicare beneficiaries will get the chance to receive care, including common office visits, mental health counseling, and preventive health screenings albeit virtually. This will help ensure that they don’t travel to places that could put themselves susceptible to contracting COVID-19.
Clinicians can bill Medicare right away for dates of service, with telehealth services paid under the Physician Fee Schedule at the same amount as in-person services. As usual, Medicare coinsurance and deductibles still apply.
Additionally, the HHS Office of Inspector General is adding flexibility for healthcare providers to reduce and even waive cost-sharing for telehealth visits shouldered by federal healthcare programs.
“With our new telehealth benefits, this person who’s not really… who’s at risk for the coronavirus, doesn’t have to venture outside their home, they can talk to their doctor via Skype and they don’t have to risk exposure to the virus and they can experience that from the comfort of their own home,” added Verma.
Even without government intervention, telehealth services have seen demand spike. Telemedicine companies like American Well, Doctor on Demand, and 98point6 are struggling to keep up with new patients as networks suffer, and the push to increase staffing rises along with it.
“Virtual is where it’s at, especially during the rise of this contagious disease,” Dr. Susan Fedewa, owner of 98point6 Emergicenter in Lansing, Michigan, said in a statement. “We’re using Beam to continue to provide care to people and hopefully keep the well away from the sick. Especially at times like this, people tend to panic and seek care.”
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