Heart, Lung Rehab Via Telehealth Covered Under Medicare

Medicare will pay for heart and lung rehab conducted via telemedicine for the duration of the public emergency, the federal Medicare agency said Wednesday.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services added 11 procedures, including various types of heart and lung services, to its list of telehealth services it will pay for throughout the pandemic. That list, which now has over 100 procedures, includes emergency room visits and nursing home visits, among other things.

Reimbursement for virtual heart and lung rehab may become especially important during the pandemic because of the way the virus appears to damage the heart and ...