Wiki Telehealth 3-31-20

[nneecole44]

4-2-20 Update: My question has been answered below. Thank you.

A new announcement was released from Medicare yesterday. Does this mean we can use the telehealth codes (I.E. 99201-99215) for telephone only? Not the G2012?
It stated:
"Building on prior action to expand reimbursement for telehealth services to Medicare beneficiaries, CMS will now allow for more than 80 additional services to be furnished via telehealth. During the public health emergencies, individuals can use interactive apps with audio and video capabilities to visit with their clinician for an even broader range of services. Providers also can evaluate beneficiaries who have audio phones only. "

The attached is from BCBS Nebraska. See page 60. They are now allowing Teleheath using 99201-99215 using telephone only. I wish everyone would just follow the same rules. Is Medicare following this too? I tried to sign up for the Telehealth Webinar on 4-2-20. It is full. They have another one next week on 4-9-20. Sign up fast. Thanks ladies.

 

[jvincent]

I read that you would use the codes 99441-99443 as of 3/31/20 instead of 99201-99214 codes and instead of G2012 the normal Medicare code for telephone only. I am unsure on what the fee schedule is for these codes as we looked on Medicare site and it wouldn't tell us, it is to be more that the G code but, less that normal office visit codes.

 

[nneecole44]

Thank you. I found it starting on bottom of page 126 of the 229 page document.

 

[csperoni]

I interpret that as historically, Medicare did not pay for 99441-99443, only G2012. They are now removing the noncovered status from 99441-99443. I am NOT reading that as telephone encounters are now billed 99201-99215.

 

[nneecole44]

I interpret that as historically, Medicare did not pay for 99441-99443, only G2012. They are now removing the noncovered status from 99441-99443. I am NOT reading that as telephone encounters are now billed 99201-99215.

You are correct. As I said above. The new telephone only rules are in the PDF above. Codes 99441-99443.

 

[CatchTheWind]

Telephone-only visits are now billed as 99441-99443. Interactive audio-video visits (ie: Skype, Facetime) are billed as 99201-99205 and 99211-99215.