Removal of Limitations on Inpatient Telehealth

Clinicians can now provide more services to beneficiaries via telehealth so that clinicians can take care of their patients while mitigating the risk of the spread of the virus. Under the public health emergency, all beneficiaries across the country can receive Medicare telehealth and other communications technology- based services wherever they are located. Clinicians can provide these services to new or established patients. In addition, providers can waive Medicare copayments for these telehealth services for beneficiaries in Original Medicare. To enable services to continue while lowering exposure risk, clinicians can now provide services via TeleHealth.

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Below are snippets from the actual document highlighting the Telehealth

• “Increase access to telehealth in Medicare to ensure patients have access to physicians and other clinicians while keeping patients safe
  at home;”
• “Medicare Telehealth … providers can waive Medicare copayments for these telehealth services for beneficiaries in Original Medicare.”
• “Licensed clinical social worker services, clinical psychologist services, physical therapy services, occupational therapist services, and speech language pathology services can be paid for as Medicare telehealth services.”
• “A subsequent inpatient visit can be furnished via Medicare telehealth, without the limitation that the telehealth visit is once every three days (CPT codes 99231-99233)”

SOURCE: Physicians and Other Clinicians: CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19 (Page 6)