Telehealth, What's New, What's Changed and What Does It Mean for Interprofessional Practice

Consistent with the Triple Aim for Healthcare of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Telehealth offers the potential to improve equity of access to health services in a cost-effective manner, resulting in better care, better health, and lower costs. Historically, Medicare Part B covered only certain services, like office visits and consultations, provided using an interactive 2-way telecommunication system (with real-time audio and video) by a distant site practitioner with a rural originating site beneficiary.

However, Telehealth services have been expanded under federal law and regulation during 2018. The CHRONIC Care Act of 2017 expands Medicare coverage of Telehealth services to include services provided at home for beneficiaries dealing with end-stage renal disease or those being treated by practitioners participating in ACOs.
Some of the geographic requirements traditionally require by Medicare's coverage rules for Telehealth services (originating sites, rural health professional shortage areas, counties outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas) will be lifted if Telehealth services are rendered to beneficiaries with ESRD, or those being treated by practitioners participating in ACOs.

On November 1, 2018, CMS published their finalized CY2019 Physician Fee Schedule (the Final Rule) providing significant changes to Telehealth coverage. CMS finalized their reimbursement policy for virtual check-ins, remote evaluation of pre-recorded patient information and interprofessional consultation, which CMS believes fall outside the scope of Telehealth services.

Under the Final Rule, CMS expanded use of Telehealth services with opioid use disorder under the SUPPORT for Patient and Communities Act. As such, health care providers may now be reimbursed for providing eligible substance use disorder services to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes via Telehealth.

Upon completion of the session participants will be able to:
* Identify the legal and regulatory issues Telemedicine practitioners need to consider when utilizing telecommunication technologies in an interprofessional practice.
* Identify regulatory requirements for synchronous real time vs asynchronous store and forward vs Telemonitoring remote patient monitoring.

Participants will be able to apply the knowledge gained within the context of ESRD, ACOs, Medicare Advantage, Telestroke, remote patient monitoring, and medication assisted treatment, for substance abuse disorders.