MedPAC weighs costs, benefits of expanded telehealth

 

MedPAC weighs costs, benefits of expanded telehealth

Medicare Payment Advisory Commission members said it would be difficult to re-implement strict rules for telehealth now that clinicians and patients have seen its value, but other commission members said making expanded reimbursement permanent could burden taxpayers, and a balance must be struck between telehealth and in-person visits. MedPAC staff proposed limiting the expansion of telehealth under fee-for-service models and preserving flexibility under advanced alternative payment models, ending reimbursement for audio-only visits and possibly placing a monthly cap on the number of telehealth services eligible for reimbursement.

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