The AP (3/17, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports CMS announced Medicare “will immediately expand coverage for telemedicine nationwide to help seniors with health problems stay home to avoid the coronavirus.” With the policy change, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to consult physicians, “while heeding public health advice to stay home during the outbreak.”
STAT (3/17, Facher) reports President Trump said “Medicare patients can now visit any doctor by phone or videoconference at no additional cost, including with commonly used services like FaceTime and Skype. A historic breakthrough – this has not been done before.” Federal health officials also said that they would stop enforcing many HIPAA provisions in order to facilitate the expanded use of telemedicine for seniors.
Among other sources providing coverage are: The Hill (3/17, Johnson), Modern Healthcare (3/17, Brady, Subscription Publication), and Healthcare IT News (3/17, Miliard).
Related Links:
— “To keep seniors safe at home, Medicare expands telemedicine, “Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, AP, March 17, 2020