Dear Marci,
I recently moved to a new apartment and no longer have easy access to transportation. My doctor mentioned that my hospital offers telehealth services and he can offer appointments through video or phone calls. What is telehealth and does Medicare provide coverage for telehealth services?
– Noel (Galena, IL)
Dear Noel,
Telehealth includes certain services that you receive from a health care provider outside of an in-person office visit. A telehealth service is a full visit with a provider using telephone or video technology that allows for both audio and video communication. It’s different from a virtual check-in or health portal messages.
Some examples of Medicare-covered telehealth benefits include:
- Lab test result consultations
- Prescription management
- Health screenings
- Visits to evaluate urgent care issues like colds or coughs
During the public health emergency, telehealth coverage was temporarily expanded to include more flexibilities and allow more people to receive care from their homes.
Through December 31, 2027, telehealth services are:
- Covered for all beneficiaries in any geographic area, at home in addition to health care settings.
- Sometimes delivered using audio only
- Provided by any health care professional that was eligible to bill Medicare
However, after December 31, 2027, most telehealth services will again be more limited unless Congress acts. For now, only some of the broader telehealth coverage has been made permanent.
After December 31, 2027, telehealth services will likely be:
- Still available regardless of geographic area for certain types of care
- For example: Behavioral/mental health care, monthly End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) visits for home dialysis, diabetes self-management training, and Medicare nutrition therapy
- Still able to be delivered using audio-only communication platforms for behavioral/mental health care
- Subject to pre-public health emergency restrictions for other types of care
Hope this helps!
-Marci