Health Net Federal Services, LLC (HNFS), who is the TRICARE West Region Contractor, has provided an update on what place of service (POS) code to use on the 1500-claim form when providing a telehealth visit. HNFS is now asking providers to use the POS that represents In addition, HNFS has provided an update on reimbursement and resubmission of claims. By using an incorrect POS code, the provider may have been or will be reimbursed at the facility CHAMPUS Maximum Allowable Charge (CMAC) rate, rather than a non-facility CMAC. If you provided telemedicine services from a non-facility setting, you may submit

Due to the Public Health Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued many waivers regarding how hospitals can deliver outpatient therapy services to their Medicare Part B beneficiaries. In this article, I will discuss the “Hospitals without Walls” and the expansion of telehealth services and explain the difference in the 2 including how to bill for each type of service. QuestionWhat is “Hospitals without Walls” and how does this allow hospitals to provide outpatient therapy services to Medicare Part B beneficiaries in their home? Answer QuestionCan hospitals provide outpatient physical, occupational and

Extending Telehealth DeadlineOn June 16, 2020, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) announced they will extend telehealth coverage through I hope you found this update informative. Thank you for being a Gold Member!

This article was updated on July 23, 2020 due to a change in the expiration date of outpatient therapy services delivered via telehealth. See below for the updated answer on the expiration date of the Public Health Emergency due to COVID-19. As I hope you all know by now, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has expanded who can provide and be reimbursed for services delivered via telehealth to include outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services provided not only by private practices, but also institutional providers. Now what everyone wants to know is this a temporary or

UHC has provided updated information on the extension of telehealth services. Click HERE for the latest update from UHC on the extension of providing outpatient therapy services delivered via telehealth. UnitedHealthcare’s expansion of telehealth services to include outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services was due to expire on June 18, 2020. Due to the continued COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, UnitedHealth (UHC) will now cover outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy delivered via telehealth until I hope you found this information helpful. Thank you for being a Gold Member!

Aetna’s expansion of telehealth services to include outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services was due to expire on June 4, 2020. Due to the continued COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, Aetna will now cover outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy delivered via telehealth until I hope you found this article helpful. Thank you for being a Gold Member!

On May 22, 2020, Cigna announced they are extending the customer cost-share waivers and other enhanced benefits, including our interim virtual care policy, through at least July 31, 2020. Click HERE to read the announcement straight from Cigna. In addition, check out my Cigna Telehealth Questions and Answers. I hope you found this article helpful. Thank you for being a Gold Member!

This article was updated on July 23, 2020 due to Secretary Azar extending the Public Health Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article was updated on June 23, 2020 due to CMS clarifying if a practitioner can be out of the country and provide a telehealth visit to a Medicare beneficiary in a state where the practitioner is licensed in. See below for the question and the answer. This article was updated on May 27, 2020 due to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services expanding telehealth coverage for outpatient therapy services to include institutional providers. Please see questions