The Future of
Telehealth
Dylan J. Chadwick
Physicians Office Resource
Staff Writer
I
t’s been a decade since my first Skype
conversation. I honestly can't
remember a solid detail about the
conversation specifically, but I do
remember feeling thrilled to speak with
another individual via a computer screen like
a video phone in some sort of futuristic
universe. Little by little we've seen this
technology take hold, infiltrating other areas
of our lives, like school and work. Truly, the
application of video and telecommunication
technology has far-reaching applications in
the world of healthcare.
Adopting video or telecommunication
technologies to treat patients, known as
“telemedicine,” has been developing as a
practice exponentially. These “telehealth
services” can include professional
consultations, office and other outpatient
visits, psychotherapy, pharmacologic
management and other medical services via
an interactive telecommunications system.
Their benefits are easy to identify. Physicians
can remotely monitor a patient’s progress,
and provide specialized care to a larger
patient segment, without having to schedule
an appointment or even leave their office.
Telehealth History in a nutshell
As a relatively new technology, telehealth
has undergone more than a few stylistic
changes and amendments to the way
physicians can practice medicine. In the past,
many insurers could exclusively reimburse
physicians for medical care that was delivered
in a face-to-face office visit. However,
legislation like a Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) ruling in 2001
expanded reimbursement services to cover
telehealth services from any entity that
participated in telemedicine projects that had
been Federally approved by the Secretary of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
Payment Conditions and Rhetoric
Under previous regulations, Medicare
would only cover and reimburse “interactive
consults.” However, the new CMS act
expanded this coverage to include
telecommunications systems for office visits,
outpatient visits, psychological and
pharmacologic management, and any
additional services specified by the HHS.
The act also eliminated the cumbersome
principle of fee sharing between consulting
physicians or practitioners and referring
practitioners, requiring all reimbursement
payments to consulting physicians for
telehealth services to be equal to the
reimbursement for the same services
provided without the use of a
telecommunications system. Payment to the
originating site was to be the lesser of the
actual service charge or a $20 facility fee.
Modern Telemedicine Concerns
All physicians must be licensed in the state
where they practice. However, some states
have also enacted legislation regarding the
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