Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Many providers have come to depend on telehealth during these trying times. Not only has the Medicare expansion helped to stem the spread of the virus, but it’s also allowed clinicians to connect with patients and continue to offer services in the midst of a worldwide public health emergency (PHE).

Now: The ready access has been a lifeline to many, and that’s why bipartisan efforts are underway in both the House of Representatives and Senate to encourage the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make the changes permanent. Several bills are currently on the table to extend the 1135 telehealth waiver benefits.

Additionally, the Senate recently heard testimony from industry insiders, including American Telemedicine Association (ATA) President Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, who urged legislators to push for telehealth reform.

“I have seen first-hand the many ways telehealth bridges the gap between a critical provider shortage and a growing patient population — a problem that existed prior to the pandemic, and one that will only worsen,” said Kvedar before the Senate. “However, we need Congress’s support to ensure patients and providers do not go over the telehealth ‘cliff’ as our nation eventually emerges from the pandemic.”

Industry: On June 29, more than 340 organizations sent a letter to Congressional leaders advocating for telehealth flexibilities that could save providers both time and money. Read the letter at http://connectwithcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Post-COVID-Telehealth-Priorities-Group-Letter-FIN.pdf.

Congress: On July 2, these industry efforts were followed by a bipartisan letter signed by more than 35 senators, which urged HHS Secretary Alex Azar and CMS Administrator Seema Verma to take action to update telehealth policies, offer guidance, and plan now for a post-pandemic world. Find the Senate’s letter at www.cassidy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/LTO. 20.7.2. Smith Cassidy Telehealth Letter-2.pdf.