A group of bipartisan congressional lawmakers is again pushing for Medicare to reimburse home health agencies for telehealth services they provide during the Covid-19 pandemic—and during any future public health emergencies.
Many home health providers have used telehealth technology to remotely manage medications; monitor patients; and assess wounds, vital signs and oxygen levels.
But concerns at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about fraud, overuse—and adapting the home health payment formula to virtual visits—have kept the industry from billing for telehealth services, said William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice.
A fast-growing slice of ...