Public Health Emergency and Changes to Telemedicine
- Eric Glass
- May 22, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: May 26, 2023
The federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended on May 11, but many Medicare telehealth flexibilities remain in place temporarily. The Department of Health and Human Services has a website which provides updates on telehealth below. These are the following changes that will occur:
Permanent Medicare changes
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) can serve as a distant site provider for behavioral/mental telehealth services
Medicare patients can receive telehealth services for behavioral/mental health care in their home
There are no geographic restrictions for originating site for behavioral/mental telehealth services
Behavioral/mental telehealth services can be delivered using audio-only communication platforms
Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) are eligible originating sites for telehealth
Temporary Medicare changes through December 31, 2024
FQHCs and RHCs can serve as a distant site provider for non-behavioral/mental telehealth services
Medicare patients can receive telehealth services in their home
There are no geographic restrictions for originating site for non-behavioral/mental telehealth services
Some non-behavioral/mental telehealth services can be delivered using audio-only communication platforms
An in-person visit within six months of an initial behavioral/mental telehealth service, and annually thereafter, is not required
Telehealth services can be provided by all eligible Medicare providers