The 2024 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule (CMS-1784-P) — released July 13 by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) — extends coverage of a variety of telehealth services at the non-facility reimbursement rate through Dec. 31, 2024, as mandated by Congress in the 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act. The proposed rule also ensures that the […]
2023: New Federal Developments There were no new federal developments in the last month. 2023: New State-Level Developments State Activity Illinois Illinois passed S.B. 1913, which requires Medicaid FFS and Medicaid managed care plans to provide coverage of mental health services, substance use disorder treatment, and ‘behavioral telehealth services’. Requires Medicaid FFS and Medicaid managed care plans […]
At a Glance The annual Medicare physician payment rule is upon us, proposed July 13, 2023, for calendar year (CY) 2024 and open for public comment through September 11. Each year, the couple-of-thousand-page rule makes modifications to how Medicare pays physician and nonphysician providers for their services, including for telehealth services. In recent years, the physician […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B (CMS-1784-P) Proposed Rule, which includes proposals related to Medicare physician payment and the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The Proposed Rule, released on July […]
CMS recently released the CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule (Proposed Rule), which included many noteworthy proposals and clarifications related to Medicare telehealth services and other remote services. Since the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) terminated on May 11, 2023, providers and practitioners have sought clarity on the end dates of various waivers and […]
Over the past several years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has expanded payment for care management and remote monitoring services in an effort to recognize and pay for non-face-to-face services that improve care coordination for Medicare beneficiaries. In connection with the calendar year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) proposed rule, CMS […]
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 […]
On July 13, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Other Revisions to Medicare Part B [CMS-1784-P] Proposed Rule, which includes proposals related to Medicare physician payment and the Quality Payment Program (QPP). Physicians and other […]
Industry reactions have been very mixed to the announcement by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the agency’s proposed physician fee schedule, with many national provider associations blasting the proposed fee schedule, while praising the extension of payment parity for telehealth-delivered patient care. The agency’s announcement was posted to its website on […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the healthcare services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients with quick […]
BakerHostetler attorneys Vimala Devassy and Justin Chavez analyze how the extension of the Covid-19 public health emergency impacts telehealth practices. They say it’s important to have permanent rules in place when the PHE ends. The pandemic has brought about a seismic shift to telehealth. The renewed federal declaration of the public health emergency through April […]
Potential pay cut relief that addresses some physician and therapist concerns is tucked into a 4,000-page proposed 2023 spending bill announced Monday by members of Congress. The draft bill would offset more than half of a key cut the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services planned to enact with the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule’s physician […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the United States, states, payers, and providers are looking for ways to expand access to telehealth services. Telehealth is an essential tool in ensuring patients are able to access the healthcare services they need in as safe a manner as possible. In order to provide our clients with quick […]
On November 2, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the CY 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (Final Rule), which will take effect January 1, 2023. The Final Rule includes noteworthy updates regarding billing and reimbursement for services provided via telehealth, providing practitioners with some guidance on navigating the transition away from […]
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) rule. As finalized, some of the most significant telehealth policy changes include: According to the September 2021 Medicare Telemedicine Snapshot, telehealth services have increased more than 30-fold since the start of the PHE and have been utilized […]