Telemedicine Video Platform for Providers and Their Patients

On March 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released an Interim Final Rule that makes a number of changes intended to further support the provision of services to patients during this Public Health Emergency. Full details of the changes can be found here. Although the rule was published this week, all of the changes made in the rule were made effective retroactive to March 1, 2020.

This new rule, combined with prior guidance, makes clear that healthcare professionals can provide and bill, and CMS will reimburse, for a variety of telemedicine services for Medicare beneficiaries residing across the country from a range of locations, including their homes. This new guidance temporarily lifts restrictions that have historically limited coverage of telemedicine to services provided to residents of rural areas and generally permits services to be provided to both new and established patients. CMS maintains a list of services that may be furnished via telehealth, which should be referenced to determine what services will be reimbursed if provided to Medicare beneficiaries under this new guidance. To keep up-to-date on the guidance that has been issued by CMS in connection with this public health emergency, please visit CMS’s Coronavirus Waivers and Flexibilities resource page found here. Providers should continue to review their contracts with commercial payors and seek updated guidance from such payors to understand whether they will similarly be loosening their reimbursement requirements and what restrictions, limitations or rules will apply.