Health systems continue to face uncertainty over telehealth access for Medicare beneficiaries after CMS flexibilities for virtual care expired Sept. 30 with the federal government shutdown, now in its fourth week.
Here are five updates:
1. Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health has notified patients that Medicare may not reimburse for telehealth. “Out-of-pocket costs can range from $221-291 for established patients and $341-484 for new patient visits,” the health system wrote on MyChart.
2. Omaha-based Nebraska Medicine restricted virtual appointments for Medicare patients Oct. 13, joining Renton, Wash.-based Providence, New York City-based NYU Langone Health, San Diego-based Scripps Health and Edgewood, Ky.-based St. Elizabeth Healthcare, which all had already. Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health System is maintaining appointments scheduled through the end of the year but not making new ones, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
At Nebraska Medicine, 200 Medicare patients per month have been affected, with about two-thirds experiencing delayed care because they had to reschedule to in-person at a later date or cancel; the rest opted to pay out of pocket for telehealth if Medicare doesn’t retroactively cover the visits. “This disruption continues to cause confusion and delays for patients, and it’s an added burden on our care teams,” Michael Hasselberg, PhD, RN, chief transformation and digital officer of Nebraska Medicine, told Becker’s. “In a state like Nebraska, telehealth continues to be a vital access point for individuals who need our expertise.”
3. In Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine and Temple Health, both based in Philadelphia, continue to provide Medicare telehealth, while Radnor Township-based Main Line Health is postponing the virtual appointments or converting them to in-person visits until the government comes up with a solution, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported Oct. 28.
4. About a third of health systems have paused Medicare telehealth access amid the shutdown, while most are waiting to file the claims with CMS, the American Telemedicine Association told Becker’s. “Our members are experiencing increased patient cancellations, no-shows, or unnecessary in-person visits and are having to reallocate staff to mitigate additional workforce challenges,” ATA Director of Federal Affairs Alexis Apple stated Oct. 24. “This will only continue to get worse as the shutdown continues.”
5. Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham, New York City-based NYC Health + Hospitals, Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy and Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health continue to offer telehealth to Medicare patients, while New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health is still monitoring the situation, spokespeople told Becker’s.
