There are 2 toolkits that contain links from CMS with information for telehealth and telemedicine. These links will give providers the information to outline temporary virtual services that could be used to treat patients during this specific period of time in response to COVID-19.
---
The Friday, March 20, 2020 "Special Edition" of the 'Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Daily Digest Bulletin'
CMS Releases Telehealth Toolkits for General Practitioners and End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Providers
"On March 18, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) released two comprehensive toolkits on telehealth that are specific to
general practitioners as well as providers treating patients with End-Stage
Renal Disease (ESRD).
Under President Trump’s leadership to respond to the need to limit
the spread of COVID-19, CMS has broadened access to Medicare telehealth
services so that beneficiaries can receive a wider range of services from their
doctors without having to travel to a healthcare facility. CMS is expanding
this benefit on a temporary and emergency basis under the 1135 waiver authority
and Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Under this new waiver, Medicare can pay for office, hospital, and other visits
furnished via telehealth across the country and including in patient’s places
of residence starting March 6, 2020. A range of providers, such as doctors,
nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, and licensed clinical social
workers, will be able to offer telehealth to their patients. These benefits are
part of the broader effort by CMS and the White House Task Force to ensure that
all Americans – particularly those at high-risk of complications from the virus
that causes the disease COVID-19 are aware of easy-to-use, accessible benefits
that can help keep them healthy while helping to contain the community spread
of this virus.
Each toolkit contains electronic links to reliable sources of
information on telehealth and telemedicine, which will reduce the amount of
time providers spend searching for answers and increase their time with
patients. Many of these links will help providers learn about the general
concept of telehealth, choose telemedicine vendors, initiate a telemedicine
program, monitor patients remotely, and develop documentation tools.
Additionally, the information contained within each toolkit will also outline
temporary virtual services that could be used to treat patients during this
specific period of time.
You can find the Telehealth Toolkit for General Practitioners
here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/general-telemedicine-toolkit.pdf
You can find the End-Stage Renal Disease Providers Toolkit here: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/esrd-provider-telehealth-telemedicine-toolkit.pdf
CMS continues to monitor the developing COVID-19 situation and
assess options to bring relief to clinicians. To keep up with the
important work the Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 visit the coronavirus.gov webpage. For complete and
updated information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website."
Disclaimer: This guidance is to be used for an easy reference; the ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM code books and the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting are the authoritative references for accurate and complete coding. This blog may contain references or links to statutes, regulations, or other policy materials. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. The information presented herein is for general informational purposes only and is accurate as of the date of publication.
Comments
Post a Comment