Wiki Face to Face New Patients - Post PHE

[MonicaS17]

I have read all of the CMS guidance and everything I can find from the OCR and OIG. After the PHE ends on May 11th, will an audio/visual visit with the patient meet the face to face requirement of a new patient for E/M (99202 to 99205) or Home Services (99341 to 99345)? I went to a CMS open forum Q&A session who said yes, then another session that made it seem like that was not correct. Do we have clear guidance on this anywhere that I have missed in the over 700 pages of guidance I have read in the last two weeks?

Thank you in advance!

 

[mzavorski15]

I am interested in same thing. I work in dermatology office the current issue of Derm World seems to indicate we cannot do telehealth for new patients anymore but then says we can through the end of 2024. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[julieordway]

Telehealth services are still allowed thru December 2024. With the end of the PHE, the waivers to use non-HIPAA compliant platforms are going away.
This article may help: https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/policy-changes-during-the-covid-19-public-health-emergency/policy-changes-after-the-covid-19-public-health-emergency#:~:text=The%20Administration's%20plan%20is%20to,emergency%20through%20December%2031%2C%202024.

 

[jkyles]

Just adding to the previous answer: For new patients you will not be able to conduct virtual check-ins (billed with G-codes) or start remote physiologic monitoring after May 11. I've heard those services referred to as telehealth, and the term digital health used to mean telehealth plus remote monitoring, etc and it gets confusing.

To understand the services that you can continue to bill, check Medicare's list of telehealth services: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicare-general-information/telehealth/telehealth-codes

Remember to check it again at the end of the year because Medicare may make some revisions.