- Telehealth advocates welcomed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 2025 Medicare physician fee schedule, which extends key telehealth flexibilities introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed rule includes permanent allowances for audio-only telehealth consultations when patients cannot use video and continues the option for telehealth practitioners to report office locations instead of home addresses through 2025. However, advocates stress that further Congressional action is necessary to ensure long-term stability for the telehealth industry. Without legislative intervention, temporary pandemic-era measures, such as virtual care without in-person visits, will expire by the end of 2024. While CMS’s proposals are seen as a positive step, industry leaders emphasize the critical need for Congress to pass legislation extending these flexibilities beyond current deadlines to maintain momentum and certainty for telehealth providers and patients alike. (Article here)
July 17, 2024
Providers | Tea Leaves