On Monday, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) sent a letter to a Senate Finance Committee workgroup urging them to rethink the reimbursement of telehealth services, as well as how it can serve as an effective alternative for improved healthcare delivery.
In the letter CHIME stated, “inconsistencies in the definition and reimbursement policies of telehealth services in federal and state programs are hurdles to widespread adoption. While Medicaid encourages states to use flexibility to create innovative payment methodologies for services that incorporate telemedicine, there are still significant coverage gaps from state-to-state. Differences in state laws, definitions and regulations create a confusing environment for hospitals and health systems that may care for a patient across state lines.”
“Although Medicare has slowly incorporated additional telehealth services into their reimbursement models, there are still significant geographic and definitional limitations. We call on the Committee to revisit the geographical limitations currently restricting coverage of telehealth services. The demand for “parity” in reimbursement for services provided in-person by a physician and those via telemedicine has never been greater. The realignment of federal payment structures is a key factor to increasing access to telehealth services to those with chronic conditions,” CHIME concluded.
Cross-State Telehealth Licensure Issue
CHIME also calls on the Commitee to address how cross-state licensure issues imposes troublesome legal barriers to a physician wishing to offer telehealth services to a patient in another state. The organizations stated it “supports policies to allow licensed healthcare providers to offer services to patients, using telemedicine, regardless of what state a patient resides in, notwithstanding whether the patient is within a traditional care setting or in one’s home.”
Alternative Care & Payment Models
Additionally, CHIME urged the Committee to consider how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) evaluates telemedicine can be incorporated into alternative care and payment models. “Federal telehealth policies lag those of both state and private payers, thus the federal government should leverage existing resources to explore alternative care models in order to accommodate and encourage innovation in healthcare delivery,” CHIME stated in the letter.
