As the world grapples with the mitigation efforts (hello, social distancing) required to navigate a global pandemic, healthcare practices of every type are getting up to speed and rolling out telehealth services, online chat, virtual appointments and all kinds of remote services. They are working with consultants to train their teams on how the technology works and then crafting messaging to get the word out to their patient base.
Truthfully, telemedicine is not the new kid in school, it’s just, quite suddenly, the popular one.
Telemedicine is an extremely useful tool. And even more so in this season as a way for doctors to provide needed care without risking potential exposure in a clinic setting. It’s good for providers and it’s good for patients. Win-win.
Don’t be Scared! Expanded Guidelines Make Telehealth a Streamlined Transition
If telehealth is new to your practice and you’re concerned about complicated billing processes, tricky reimbursement issues and even technology challenges, don’t be! The transition is not as difficult as it might appear to be.
Worried about how to bill for and code telemedicine visits? Don’t be.
Medicare now allows physicians to bill for professional services nationwide in all settings, including a patient’s home via FaceTime, Zoom, Google Hangouts or other teleconferencing technology, as well as waived HIPAA requirement violations.
Additionally, the American Medical Association has published a document outlining how providers should be using CPT codes to document telehealth treatments during the coronavirus emergency. The document outlines 11 different scenarios for treating patients and the appropriate CPT codes to qualify for Medicare reimbursement. All take into account the emergency actions announced earlier this month by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to remove barriers to the use of connected health platforms.
Worried about your patients (or your providers) being tech-savvy enough to “do” a telehealth visit? Don’t be.
Doctors and patients only need a computer or smartphone with a camera and a headset with a microphone to engage in basic telemedicine appointments with an app such as Zoom, Doxy.me, Skype, Google Hangouts, and even FaceTime. For tips on conducting telehealth appointments, please click here.
The Future is Now so Get Comfortable
In these uncertain times, all of us are being forced to adapt to new ways of living and doing life. This certainly includes medical providers who must embrace new ways of communicating with and treating patients.
While telehealth was once a service limited to rural areas or special cases, almost overnight, it’s become an essential tool in the healthcare industry, which must adapt and carry on alongside this world health pandemic. And it’s likely here to stay.
