#Wound care nurse home visits series#

#Wound care nurse home visits series#

With the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), Medicare (CMS) and many commercial payers implemented a series of flexibilities in March 2020, to help patients receive medical care without having to travel to a healthcare facility. Remote Evaluations, Virtual Check-Ins and E-Visits for new patients: After the end of the PHE, these services may only be provided to established patients (versus new or established patients).Removal of frequency limitations on certain Medicare telehealth services: Certain services (e.g. inpatient visits, skilled nursing facility visit, critical care) will be subject to frequency limitation rules.A non-enforcement discretion will be extended for 90-days after the end of the PHE (through August 9, 2023) to allow for providers to make the transition to HIPAA compliant applications. Use of non-HIPAA compliant applications: Federal penalties may be applied if non-HIPAA compliant applications are used to communicate with patients and supply telehealth services.The flexibilities below will no longer be in effect from 5/1/23 on: Place of service (POS): Providers can continue to bill with the POS indicator that would have been reported had the service been furnished in-person, and continue to use modifier “95” to identify them as services furnished as telehealth services.Modality: Audio-only coverage for approved services can continue to be reimbursed through to December 31, 2024.For questions about new enrollment flexibilities, or to enroll for temporary billing privileges, use this list of Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to call the hotline for your area Licensing: Providers can furnish services outside their state of enrollment.Cost-sharing: Providers can reduce or waive patient cost-sharing (copayments and deductibles) for telehealth visits.Eligible services: See the complete list of all Medicare telehealth services here.

Eligible providers: All health care providers who are eligible to bill Medicare can bill for telehealth services, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).

Location: No geographic restrictions for patients or providers.

With the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), which is set to expire on, the major Medicare telehealth flexibilities will not be affected, and will remain in effect until December 2024, thanks to the bipartisan Consolidated Care Act (CCA) of 2023.