Telehealth Services Eligible for Medicare Reimbursement is Broadened by CMS

Throughout the pandemic, telehealth coverage has been expanded to help keep individuals safe. Once again, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has expanded telehealth services eligible for Medicare reimbursements. This means that patients have even more options available to them than ever before when it comes to their care. Providers have the opportunity to maximize reimbursement at this time. Keep reading to learn more about the relationship between telehealth and the pandemic and what changes have been made.

What Has Changed

CMS will now cover an additional 11 virtual care services that providers can earn reimbursements for. This is meant to push the adoption of telehealth technology by removing barriers to reimbursements.

Telehealth and the Pandemic

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS announced that they would cover an additional 80 telehealth services for the foreseeable future, or until the national crisis came to an end. This prompted mass adaptation of virtual visit technology across medical organizations. With fewer restrictions on what software was eligible for reimbursement, providers turned to tools that offered fast implementation. After all, patients needed a way to meet with the providers that would not involve them spreading or coming into contact with the coronavirus.

Seniors

Seniors are more likely to face challenges in their care. Keeping track of one’s care can quickly become overwhelming. Virtual care services have made it easier for patients to access online services, simplifying their care overall. There are still some barriers in terms of connectivity and usability that need to be sorted out in some areas of this effort.

Expanded Coverage

With expanded coverage for telehealth services, patients are more likely to utilize this tool. More patients than ever before are engaging in virtual care services due to an increase and coverage during the pandemic. While that use is expected to decrease some as the pandemic ends, patients are now aware of its benefits. Plans have yet to be made for what coverage will look like for Medicare patients once the pandemic comes to an end.

Interoperability and Security Issues for Providers

Providers across the country have leapt at the opportunity to adopt a telehealth solution. The main problem with this has been the quality of the software they adopt. New types of telehealth solutions are popping up everywhere. Newer software is causing providers to run into challenges with security and interoperability. Cybersecurity attacks are taking place on less protected software, putting patient data and your practice at risk. An experienced telehealth vendor is the way to go should your practice need a quality solution.

By forming a partnership with a quality vendor of telehealth services, your practice can continue to make care more accessible and safer for patients during and after the pandemic. Once the pandemic is over, patients will still be interested in the usability, accessibility and convenience of a quality telehealth solution. To learn more about a telehealth option for your practice, click here.