{"id":5146,"date":"2018-02-12T15:42:08","date_gmt":"2018-02-12T15:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tele.healthcare\/?p=5146"},"modified":"2018-02-12T15:42:08","modified_gmt":"2018-02-12T15:42:08","slug":"medicares-new-remote-patient-monitoring-reimbursement-what-providers-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drmiltie.com\/at-home-testing\/medicares-new-remote-patient-monitoring-reimbursement-what-providers-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Medicare\u2019s New Remote Patient Monitoring Reimbursement: What Providers Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

New billing opportunities for providers and hospitals are available under CPT code 99091.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

February 12, 2018 by\u00a0Foley & Lardner LLP<\/p>\n

The new year continues to offer big opportunities for telemedicine and digital health companies, and one of the most notable developments is CMS\u2019 decision to reimburse providers for remote patient monitoring (RPM).\u00a0 Effective\u00a0the Medicare program will\u00a0\u00a0January 1, 2018<\/a>, the Medicare program will\u00a0pay providers for RPM services billed under CPT code 99091<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 The service is currently defined as the \u201ccollection and interpretation of physiologic data (e.g., ECG, blood pressure, glucose monitoring) digitally stored and\/or transmitted by the patient and\/or caregiver to the physician or other qualified health care professional, qualified by education, training, licensure\/regulation (when applicable) requiring a minimum of 30 minutes of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is great to see CMS agree with health innovation advocates that RPM services can be a significant part of ongoing medical care and that the Medicare program should recognize these services for separate payment as soon as practicable.\u00a0 Providers and telehealth companies should act now to embrace this landmark shift by Medicare to directly pay for RPM services on a monthly recurring basis.<\/p>\n

RPM is Not a Telehealth Service<\/h3>\n

RPM services are technically not considered a Medicare telehealth service.\u00a0 Instead, like a physician interpretation of an electrocardiogram or radiological image that has been transmitted electronically, RPM services involve the interpretation of medical information without a direct interaction between the practitioner and beneficiary. As such, Medicare pays for RPM services under the same conditions as in-person physicians\u2019 services with no additional requirements regarding permissible originating sites or use of the telehealth place of service (POS) 02 code.\u00a0 RPM services do not require the use of interactive audio-video, nor must the patient be located in a rural area. The patient can even receive RPM services in their home.<\/p>\n

CPT 99091 is not a newly-created code. Instead, Medicare \u201cunbundled\u201d it and designated it as a separately-payable service. Regardless of how CMS accomplished it, the final result is clear: Medicare will now pay providers a monthly fee for delivering RPM services.<\/p>\n

Industry response was positive and telehealth advocates supported CMS\u2019 action as another step in recognizing the increasing importance of RPM services.<\/p>\n

Not All RPM Codes Made the Cut<\/h3>\n

When assessing whether or not Medicare should pay for RPM services, CMS also evaluated CPT 99090 as a potential covered service. That service is defined as the \u201canalysis of clinical data stored in computers (e.g., ECGs, blood pressures, hematologic data).\u201d\u00a0 Unlike CPT code 99091, CPT code 99090 does not state that the RPM information must be interpreted by a physician or other qualified health care professional, nor does it specify a 30 minute minimum. After considering the differences, CMS elected to keep CPT 99090 \u201cbundled\u201d and not allow its use for separate payment.<\/p>\n

What Does CMS Require for CPT 99091?<\/h3>\n

It is true that CPT 99091 fails to optimally describe how RPM services are furnished using current technology.\u00a0 This may be due to the fact that the code description is years old and has never before been a separately payable service. The AMA\u2019s CPT Editorial Panel is currently working on new codes intended to more accurately describe remote monitoring. But providers, patients, and CMS itself did not want to wait until those new codes were developed.\u00a0 Until new codes are published and approved by CMS, providers should use the current CPT 99091 for billing RPM services. Here are some of the core requirements to bill Medicare for RPM services under CPT 99010:<\/p>\n