Telehealth: Check your Medicare telehealth compliance against HIPAA, DEA rules

Why This Topic Matters

Telehealth policies can differ depending on whether the encounter is billed under Medicare, delivered through a HIPAA-compliant platform, or involves prescribing controlled medications. Understanding the overlap among these rules helps organizations avoid compliance problems while continuing to offer telehealth services.

Article Sections

1. Medicare telehealth waivers and compliance context

   Introduces the Medicare telehealth waiver environment and the need to consider additional federal requirements beyond Medicare coverage policies.

2. HIPAA restricts typical telehealth services

   Summarizes the privacy-compliance issues affecting real-time audio-visual telehealth services and notes the role of OCR guidance and platform requirements.

3. The DEA restricts telephone services

   Covers audio-only telehealth services, controlled-substance prescribing concerns, and the interaction between DEA telemedicine policy and Medicare-covered encounter types.

4. Resources

   Lists external references for Medicare telehealth services and federal telemedicine policy updates.