New telehealth reimbursement rules for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs), have been clarified by federal officials. These sites are given more opportunities to use connected health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The document released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided clarity about the changes to Medicare reimbursement included in last month’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
These changes let FQHCs and RHCs utilize telehealth, and permit doctors working for those clinics to work from home.
For the duration of the pandemic:
• Under Medicare, FQHCs and RHCs are classified as distant sites for telehealth coverage, which allows them to use real-time interactive audio and video telemedicine platforms to treat patients.
• Practitioners who work for an FQHC or RNC are allowed to work from any location, including their home, and use any telehealth service, which is approved as a distant site services under the Physician Fee Schedule.
• Instead of their PPS or AIR rates, FQHCs and RHCs will be reimbursed at a rate of $92 per service, retroactive to January 27. In July when the Medicare claims processing system gets updated with the new payment rate only then will the claims will be processed.
• Reimbursements for virtual communication services considered mHealth rather than telehealth services will now include online digital evaluation and management services, not face-to-face or patient-initiated, and that are conducted through a secure portal.
• Beneficiary consent is a must for all services, which also includes non-face-to-face services, and can be obtained at the same time the services are furnished by someone working under the general supervision of the FQHC or RHC.
These new rules make many options available for expanded telehealth and mHealth coverage for healthcare providers who serve underserved populations and the ones being hard hit by the virus.
They allow those centers to improve care access for patients infected by the coronavirus and also enable them to improve services for people with health concerns not related to the pandemic.
In most of the emergency measures, these new rules will last only until the country faces this state of emergency.
During these challenging times Lifecycle Health extends its telehealth services and supports the healthcare providers to communicate better with their patients.
The Lifecycle Health platform provides secure patient and provider messaging and digital video visits. It allows Video eVisits in HD, sharing of medical images, and collaborating between providers and patients. During times of crisis these services are imperative and Lifecycle Health is here to battle through these tough times with you.