Doctors Cashing Telehealth Paychecks Run Fraud Risk After Virus

Doctors who have gotten used to virtual patient checkups should be wary of changing telehealth rules that could open the door for fraud when the pandemic ends, attorneys warn.

While federal health regulators have waived some telehealth rules to make it easier for doctors to treat patients without running the risk of spreading Covid-19, those tweaks are only temporary. Doctors billing Medicare and Medicaid for telehealth visits could violate fraud laws if they continue to rely on those waivers when the crisis is over.

“If the provider knew or should have known the rules, which as we know are difficult ...