Apr 30, 2020, 18:33 PM
by
Grace Whittington
On April 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued another round of sweeping regulatory waivers and rule changes to deliver expanded care to the nation’s seniors and provide flexibility to the health care system as America begins to reopen.
AAPM&R is currently undergoing an in-depth review of these lengthy materials, but we can share an important update with you below. As we take a closer look at the materials from CMS, we will share additional information with you.
- Back on April 13, AAPM&R sent a letter to CMS advocating that audio-only (telephone) E/M visits should be reimbursed at the same rate as face-to-face E/M visits. In response, CMS has approved (retroactive to March 1) higher reimbursement for audio-only telephone visits. Instead of being reimbursed at $14-41, these services will now be reimbursed at a rate of $46-110, which CMS indicates matches the payment for similar office and outpatient visits.
Stay tuned for our in-depth analysis of these changes soon.