Month: March 2020
MGMA Telemedicine and Telehealth Tool Kit
MGMA has released a tool kit for telemedicine and telehealth for COVID-19.
You can find the tool kit under the COVID-19 tag.
POET appreciates Catalyst Health Network sharing the following information:
| CARE ALERT 8: March 19, 2020 |
| Catalyst Community, Today’s content will be brief, containing updates and focusing on the resources coming out of today’s Webinar 5 on business continuity and implementing Telehealth in your practice. |
| IN TODAY’S CARE ALERT: Governor Abbott’s closure announcement Questions from today’s Webinar 5 – Telehealth Visit Reimbursement and Billing Guidelines |
| NEXT ZOOM WEBINAR: TUESDAY 24TH 12 – 1 PM |
| Same place, same time! Topics will be released at a later date. |
We are recording ALL Catalyst hosted COVID-19 Webinars! You can access today’s Webinar 5 covering business continuity & implementing Telehealth HERE. |
Click Here for NEW COVID-19 Care Alert #8
| CARE ALERT 8: March 19, 2020 |
Tips to Prepare Your Office for Coronavirus.
Power Point provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
Add another code to your coronavirus testing list.
AMA drops CPT Assistant fact sheet on new COVID-19 code
Effective March 13, you can turn to the following code:
- 87635 (Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid [DNA or RNA];severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] [Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)],amplified probe technique)
Telehealth work flow – ideas from others
POET will showcase ideas on Telehealth work flow as we find them. Be sure and check the comments for new ideas or add your own ideas!
Resource MGMA community
Does anyone have a tested and working workflow for telemed? Something like the following?
1. Review appointment list for appropriate diagnosis and problems to perform telemed
2. Reminder call to patient includes survey to see if they would qualify for telemed visit
3. If video capable, Send patients instructions to install app to phone and request confirmation via email that they have received the invite
4. If not video capable, review if patient is appropriate for televisit only
5. When appointment arrives, staff person pulls up video conf on designated laptop or pc and does initial intake of questions for the physician
6. when completed patient waits for physician to enter the room
7. physician performs video visit and documents in the record.
Another MGMA community resource. From an office manager in Ohio. Zoom (a meetings and workplace app) for example is very easy to use but it is not on the list suggested by CMS The problem with Skype and Messenger is that they generally require setting up user specific accounts on both ends. My test run with Zoom was simple and we just sent the meeting link to the phone or to the email of the test recipient. Other opinions would be welcome.
TMB FAQs on telemedicine
Texas Medical Board announcement regarding telemedicine http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/page/coronavirus
To view the FAQs
BCBSTX phone line situation
BCBSTX has sent the following message:
” I am hearing from providers that hold times are long right now, so if you hear that from your physicians they are still working on getting everyone access. “
Certain Regulations Waived
Governor Abbott Waives Certain Regulations For Telemedicine Care In Texas
Governor Greg Abbott today waived certain regulations and directed that the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) issue an emergency rule, all relating to telemedicine care for patients with state-regulated insurance plans to help doctors across Texas continue to treat their patients while mitigating the spread of COVID-19. The suspensions and emergency rule will work together to allow telemedicine visits for patients with state-regulated plans to be paid the same as in-office visits for insurance purposes. These actions build upon waivers the Governor issued last week of portions in the Occupations Code to expand provider flexibility in providing medical services over the phone.
“As the State of Texas responds to COVID-19, we continue to work to maintain regular health care services and operations throughout the state, and telemedicine is one of the most valuable tools we have to ensure Texans continue to receive the health services they need,” said Governor Abbott. “Expanding telemedicine options will help protect the health of patients and health care professionals, and help Texas mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
Doctors will be eligible for payment from insurance plans regulated by TDI for medical visits they conduct over the phone instead of in-person at the same rate they would receive for in-person visits.
Medical providers seeking guidance on the impact of the new rule can expect guidance from the Texas Medical Board to be issued in the coming days, including administrative guidance for billing to ensure that claims are processed smoothly.
Insurers seeking guidance on implementation of the emergency rule should contact TDI or visit their webpage for more information.
This coordinated efforts between the Office of the Governor, the Texas Department of Insurance, the Texas Medical Board, and health insurance plans will increase access to health care for all Texans. Today’s action will expand telemedicine options by giving health care providers greater flexibility to perform audio-only telephone consultations with their patients.
As a reminder, Texans covered by CHIP or Medicaid will not be charged copays for test or telemedicine consults. Individuals covered by Medicare or large employer plans should check with their health plan administrator to determine their specific benefits.
Summary of telehealth restrictions lifted
| See the below for a summary of all the documents POET has been posting the last 2 days. The MGMA does a nice job. Remember you can view our posts for more details. SOURCE: MGMA GovChat Digest March 17,2020 Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance on Secretary Azar’s waiver authority that broadens access to Medicare telehealth services. Effective March 6, 2020 and for the duration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, CMS will: —Waive geographic restrictions, meaning patients can receive telehealth services in non-rural areas; —Waive originating site restrictions, meaning patients can receive telehealth services in their home; — Allow use of telephones that have audio and video capabilities; —Allow reimbursement for any telehealth covered code, even if unrelated to COVID-19 diagnosis, screening, or treatment; and —Not enforce the established relationship requirement that a patient see a provider within the last three years. The Medicare telemedicine healthcare provider fact sheet can be found here. You can access the Medicare FAQ on these telehealth waivers here. The Enforcement Discretion for telehealth remote communications during the COVID-19 notice can be found here. This announcement follows MGMA efforts to encourage CMS to expeditiously expand telehealth coverage in response to the public health emergency. Visit the MGMA COVID-19 Action Center for the latest developments impacting medical practices. —————————— Drew Voytal Associate Director MGMA Government Affairs Washington, DC —————————— |
Ease of restrictions for telemedicine.
Another government regulating agency follows up with ease of restrictions for telemedicine.
From OCR ( Office for Civil Rights ) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS ) regarding HIPAA use this link.
Notification of Enforcement Discretion for telehealth remote communications during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency
During the COVID-19 national emergency, which also constitutes a nationwide public health emergency, covered health care providers subject to the HIPAA Rules may seek to communicate with patients, and provide telehealth services, through remote communications technologies. Some of these technologies, and the manner in which they are used by HIPAA covered health care providers, may not fully comply with the requirements of the HIPAA Rules.
OCR will exercise its enforcement discretion and will not impose penalties for noncompliance with the regulatory requirements under the HIPAA Rules against covered health care providers in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth during the CoVID-19 nationwide public health emergency. This notification is effective immediately.
A covered health care provider that wants to use audio or video communication technology to provide telehealth to patients during the CoVID-19 nationwide public health emergency can use any non-public facing remore communication product that is available to communicate with patients. OCR is exercising its enforcement discretion to not impose penalties for nocompliance with the HIPAA Rules in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth using such non-public facing audio or video communication products during the CoVID-19 nationwide public health emergency. This exercise of descretion applies to telehealth provided for any reason, regardless of whether the telehealth service is related to the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions related to CoVID-19.
For example, a covered health care provider in the exercise of their professional judgement may request to examine a patient exhibiting CoVID- 19 symptoms, using a video chat application connecting the provider’s or patient’s phone or desktop computer in order to assess a greater number of patients while limiting the risk of infection of other persons who would be exposed from an in-person consultation. Likewise, a covered health care provider may provide similar telehealth services in the exercise of their professional judgment to assess or treat any other medical condition, even if not related to CoVID-19, such as a sprained ankle, dental consultation or psychological evaluation, or other conditions.
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