US Congress Wants CMS to Up Telehealth Usage While Cutting Payments
June 16, 2023
The US Congress’s Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ramp up telehealth utilization while, at the same time, cutting the payment rates associated with it. The request comes as the post-pandemic status of telehealth looks uncertain with policy changes following the recent end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
According to Robert King, “The recommendation calls specifically for rescinding fee increases adopted during the Covid-19 public health emergency “as soon as practicable” — which means 2024, according to MedPAC’s director. The group also suggested that CMS work with Congress to standardize payments for telehealth, taking care to not disincentivize in-person care. And MedPAC pushed for cost-sharing with beneficiaries to discourage overuse of virtual services.”
To read more, click here.
(Source: Politico Pulse, June 16th, 2023)
