CMS proposed changes to the physician fee schedule that would provide physicians with additional compensation to account for balancing telehealth visits with maintaining their physical offices, Politico reported July 17.
The proposal would increase the payment rates of healthcare providers for the virtual care they offer Medicare patients remotely.
The additional compensation for telehealth services will be determined through a "non-facility" payment rate, which will vary based on the type of service being provided, according to the report.
The proposal also seeks to make the following changes, according to the report:
- Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics can bill patients separately for remote patient monitoring.
- Physicians are permitted to virtually supervise certain medical services through 2024 that were previously required to be in-person.
- The categorization process will be simplified for telehealth service billing.
- The pandemic rules that allowed audio-only telehealth visits for certified opioid treatment programs will be maintained through 2024.