{"id":26426,"date":"2020-01-07T06:30:25","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T06:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.mtelehealth.com\/?p=26426"},"modified":"2020-01-07T06:30:25","modified_gmt":"2020-01-07T06:30:25","slug":"heres-what-providers-need-to-know-as-rpm-is-poised-for-take-off-with-new-cms-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drmiltie.com\/at-home-testing\/heres-what-providers-need-to-know-as-rpm-is-poised-for-take-off-with-new-cms-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s what providers need to know as RPM is poised for take-off with new CMS rules"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With the new CMS rules going into effect in 2020, providers have more opportunity than ever before to seize these benefits by collecting critical patient information while streamlining talent and spatial resources. <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Christopher McCann <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past fall, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rules on Chronic Care Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM). Following on from the inclusion of three new current procedural terminology (CPT) codes in the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule, CMS has added a code for remote patient monitoring in 2020 that allows the billing of an additional 20 minutes of clinical time. It also removed a number of provisions that had made RPM operationally challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a big deal in the RPM industry. Firstly, it demonstrates CMS\u2019 continued endorsement and belief in RPM and its potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce cost. Secondly, the new rules are expected to drive improved return on investment for providers. As a result, providers will be more likely to invest in RPM technology and harness both the operational and care benefits it presents to hospitals and patients, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, questions remain for providers. What are the major ways in which RPM impacts care delivery and hospital operations? What should be considered when evaluating solutions and deploying RPM technology? Here, we address these questions to arm providers with the insights they need to obtain maximum value from RPM investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How RPM Impacts Hospital Operations and Care Delivery
\n<\/strong>While RPM services can be managed by auxiliary personnel, a key issue that providers and RPM vendors had with CMS\u2019 2019 final rule was that those individuals must be under direct supervision of the physician. This means that the physician must be in the same building as the personnel delivering and managing the RPM service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has been changed with the CMS rule going into effect in 2020. Now, those personnel need only be under general supervision; the physician does not need to be in the same building. This allows for scalable, flexible RPM programs to be created that allow proactive management of patients at home. The additional 20 minutes of time also significantly increases the potential revenue for providers, making it financially viable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By using RPM to manage patients outside of the hospital, providers can more appropriately allocate resources. With RPM-powered insights, doctors and nurses can identify earlier which patients require intervention, and which can continue to be managed remotely with less frequent or time-sensitive visits and check-ins. Not only does this help optimize doctors\u2019 and nurses\u2019 time, but it also reserves limited hospital beds for those who most need them. Moreover, it has the potential to allow patients to leave the hospital earlier and further free up hospital capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From doctors and care providers to patients, partners, payers, and everyone in between, we are elevating healthcare management in ways that were previously not possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond streamlining hospital operations, the potential for better care via RPM can also be better fulfilled under the new CMS rules. By helping manage patients remotely and mitigating unnecessary hospital visits, RPM can reduce the risk of patients contracting hospital-acquired infections and allow them to recover more quickly in the comfort of their own home. Not only that, but patients can receive better care from their providers when doctors and nurses have a more comprehensive view of their overall health based on data from RPM solutions, as well as historic records. With more patient information afforded by RPM, providers can design optimal treatment plans that account for patients\u2019 medical past and present \u2013 and position them for a better medical future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Providers Should Consider When Evaluating RPM Solutions
\n<\/strong>While the opportunities presented by RPM are significant, it\u2019s important to remember that not all RPM solutions are created equal. To derive optimal value from RPM solutions, providers should ask themselves \u2013 and prospective vendors \u2013 the following questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n