decisionhealth Newsletters, Coder Pink Sheets - 2020 Issue 6 (June)
COVID-19 update: CMS expands services for therapists, assistants during PHE
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This article explains temporary Medicare policy changes issued during the COVID-19 public health emergency that affect therapy services, telehealth access, and assistant-delivered maintenance therapy. It is relevant to therapists, therapy assistants, billing professionals, and organizations following Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payer updates. The article also notes the role of CMS waivers, interim rulemaking, and general coverage trends among non-Medicare payers.
Why This Topic Matters
These emergency changes affect how therapy services may be furnished and billed during the public health emergency and can influence access, compliance, and reimbursement workflows for providers and billing teams.
Article Sections
-
CMS waiver and interim final rule updates
Introduces the temporary CMS policy expansion and the related federal rulemaking context. Covers the general scope of the Medicare telehealth and therapy-service changes during the public health emergency.
-
Therapy assistants and maintenance therapy
Describes the temporary allowance affecting assistant-delivered maintenance therapy in the outpatient setting. Also addresses the associated billing context and the need for the proper claim indicator.
-
Non-Medicare payers expand coverage
Summarizes broader coverage responses from commercial payers and Medicaid variability by state. Includes references to general telehealth coverage trends and professional association resources.
What You Will Learn
- How CMS adjusted temporary Medicare therapy and telehealth policies during the COVID-19 public health emergency
- What the article says about therapist and assistant roles under the emergency waiver and interim final rule
- How non-Medicare payer coverage for telehealth therapy was changing during the pandemic
- Which organizations and resources were highlighted for keeping up with coverage updates
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Billing staff
- Therapists and therapy assistants
- Practice managers
- Compliance professionals
- Revenue cycle teams
Modifiers Discussed
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com