CMS Proposes Amendments to Telehealth, Preventive Care, and Staffing Concerns Amid COVID-19

October 28, 2020 by Alec Stone MA, MPA, Former ONS Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy

During a global pandemic that requires social distancing, telehealth has suddenly become routine. Seeing an opportunity, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is breaking down barriers, enhancing patient-centered care, and bolstering the healthcare workforce with a series of regulations (https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-proposes-expand-telehealth-benefits-permanently-medicare-beneficiaries-beyond), with telehealth topping the list.

Increased Access to Telehealth 

Through a presidential executive order, CMS issued several proposals prioritizing telehealth access:  

The changes come on the tail of the Rural Telehealth Initiative (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/fcc-and-usda-partner-for-rural-telehealth-initiative), a response to President Trump’s executive order (https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-366590A1.pdf) on improving rural health and telehealth access. 

“Telemedicine can never fully replace in-person care, but it can complement and enhance in-person care by furnishing one more powerful clinical tool to increase access and choices for America's seniors,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma.  

Investment in Preventative Care and Disease Management 

The agency established (https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/Partnerships/PatientsOverPaperwork) an internal process to evaluate and streamline regulations with goals of:  

CMS proposed (https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-proposes-expand-telehealth-benefits-permanently-medicare-beneficiaries-beyond) revisions to similar services such as maternity care bundles, emergency department visits, end-stage renal disease capitated payment bundles, and physical and occupational therapy evaluation.  

Support for Providers 

CMS also prioritized (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/surprise-billing-legislation-drug-pricing-reform-stalls-gops-aca-repeal) mitigating surprise billing and coding requirements (https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/billing-and-coding-breakdown-helps-nurses-recognize-the-realities-of-reimbursement) through the Patients Over Paperwork (https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/Partnerships/PatientsOverPaperwork) initiative. The agency proposed making permanent the temporary changes that it had made during COVID-19, such as:  


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