Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Aetna has expanded telehealth services to include outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services. In this article, I will answer some of the more common questions I have received regarding Aetna’s expansion of telehealth services to include physical, occupational and speech therapy services. QuestionWhen did Aetna expand telehealth services to outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services? Answer QuestionWhat is the end date of the expansion of telehealth services to outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services? Answer (Updated June 1, 2020) QuestionWhat plans does the telehealth expansion apply to? Answer QuestionWhat CPT codes will

Today, I am receiving emails and phone calls from providers around the country that believe the Medicare program covers telehealth services provided by a physical therapist, occupational therapist or a speech-language pathologist. I have even received emails from several providers stating they provided telehealth visits to Medicare beneficiaries, submitted the claim to their Medicare Administrative Contractor using place of service code 02 on the 1500-claim form and appended modifier 95 or modifier 95 and the GP modifier to the CPT code(s) on the claim form and were paid. I hate to tell you, but you were paid in error. As

During a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) “Office Hours” call on April 14, 2020, I had the opportunity to ask CMS if a physical therapist or occupational therapist employed by a physician practice can provide a telehealth visit and have that telehealth visit billed incident-to the physician (under the physicians NPI in Box 24J on the 1500-claim form)? The answer from the CMS representative was I hope you found this article and the answer to the question helpful. Thank you for being a Gold Member!

Effective with dates of service beginning on April 13, 2020, the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation as issued an emergency rule regarding rehabilitation services and telehealth services. This emergencyrule allows health care providers licensed to perform physical medicine and rehabilitation services, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists to bill and be reimbursed for services currently allowed under CMS telemedicine and telehealth billing codes. Health care providers must bill for telemedicine or telehealth services using the same billing, coding, reporting, and documentation requirements used for in-person services and include a place of service code “02 – telehealth” on the

On April 13, 2020, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) announced they have expanded telehealth services to include outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services. The temporary changes are retroactive to April 1 and will be in effect through at least May 15, 2020, and could beextended after that, if circumstances warrant. There will be no waiver of cost share (e.g. copays, deductibles, and coinsurance) for these services and all contractual limitations, conditions, policies, and procedures will apply. Codes must be submitted with place of service 02 and modifier 95 or GT to indicate billing of a telehealth service. Appropriate

QuestionAs of April 15, 2020 at 5:00pm EDT, does the Medicare program pay for telehealth services provided by a physical therapist, occupational therapist or speech-language pathologist? Answer I hope you found the answer to this question to be a definitive answer. Thank you for being a Gold Member!

On March 30, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule titled “Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency“. In this interim final rule, CMS did add CPT codes that are typically billed by physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) as covered telehealth services; however, they did not add PTs, OTs and SLPs as telehealth providers. This led many to ask why would CMS add these CPT codes to the list of covered therapy services if they did not add PTs,

While we wait for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to add physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists as telehealth providers for outpatient therapy services, a question I am receiving is how does this relate to Medicare Advantage plans. What you need to remember is that traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantages plans are not the same. Regarding Medicare Advantage plans and do they pay for telehealth services for outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services is Medicare Advantage plan specific. You must contact each insurance carrier to see if they have expanded telehealth services to include outpatient