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Grow Your Rehab Therapy Practice Using Paid Ads and Search Engine Marketing

When done right, paid advertising and search engine marketing are amazing tools to reach new patients and grow your business. By applying several basic tactics, you can start using powerful digital advertising platforms like Google and Facebook to target specific audiences and help ensure a steady flow of business for your practice. Click to View […]

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Five Key Stressors Hospice Professionals Face, with Guidance for Support

Hospice professionals help others face death and loss, while juggling interdisciplinary communications, quality compliance regulations and ever-evolving technologies. You are continually there for families and their dear ones who are passing away. But what about you? Get the eBook In caregiving professions, it is easy to get swept up in the needs of others and forget […]

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Net Health’s CIO discusses diversity and how it can build a stronger organization

Diversity in the workplace is an on-going issue but it’s an issue with solutions. To build diversity, it takes forward-thinking initiatives, a reexamination of the hiring philosophy, and the support of the company’s decision-makers.  One such supporter of diversity in the workplace is Net Health’s CIO, Jason “JJ” James.  Recent social movements like Black Lives […]

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Tough Questions | Real Answers: Net Health’s Fireside Chat about Race

Net Health did something different recently. Nearly two hundred employees and their families gathered around their computer screens to take part in a landmark event in our company’s history – we called it a “Fireside Chat about Race”.  The purpose of this event was to have a truly open conversation about the controversial but relevant […]

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Blog Posts Will Telehealth Payments End for Rehab Therapy? CMS Proposed 2021 Rule Explained
Outpatient Therapy

Will Telehealth Payments End for Rehab Therapy? CMS Proposed 2021 Rule Explained

October 21, 2020 by Net Health

Expanding telehealth reimbursement for outpatient physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech language pathology (SLP) has been a critical strategy to ensure the health of millions of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, increased telehealth billing options for Medicare patients is currently connected to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Waivers, which may expire in 2021.1 Additionally, if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) does not act to make telehealth permanent for rehab therapists, the expanded billing options may be gone for good.

As the new year is right around the corner, here are some matters to consider about potential changes to physical therapy billing guidelines.

Why Teleheath Matters to Rehab Therapy Practices

With patients staying home, often forgoing care to avoid the risk of infection, telehealth has become a lifeline. Expanded therapy telehealth billing allows therapists to grow their practices and continue providing the specialty care that patients need.

On-Demand Webinar: Study Results – Telehealth Effectiveness and Outcomes for Outpatient Rehab Therapy

Rehab therapists working in private practice or hospital outpatient settings will be significantly impacted by the CMS proposed rule related to telehealth.

Telehealth expansion arose in response to an urgent demand for new approaches to healthcare delivery. Therefore, telehealth reimbursements were expanded under the CARES Act of March 2020. Many in the field, including the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), had seen the benefits of remote treatment long before the country went into quarantine. Prior to 2020, the APTA advocated for telehealth’s widespread adoption and expansion. Now, CMS is proposing to pare back telehealth for rehab therapists, which threatens care access and the solvency of practices.

Looking ahead to 2021, PT/OT/SLP practices can benefit by being informed about these changes to develop a plan to offer the best, most efficient care for their patients. Below are two things to understand about the future of telehealth reimbursement for rehab therapists:

1. As the nation became more aware of the benefits of telehealth during the pandemic, both CMS and Congress demonstrated their recognition of telehealth solutions. The success of telehealth during the pandemic has been undeniable. In fact, while CMS does not specifically include rehabilitation therapy services in the proposed rule for 2021, it does call for comments on the expansion of telehealth in this area, thereby suggesting it may not be fully off the table.2

2. A few rehab therapy telemedicine functions will still be reimbursed by Medicare. Rehab therapy practices will still be able to use virtual check-ins for patient care while working to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Routine patient communications for things such as explaining test results that have often been done without visits will also be allowed to continue under the proposed new rules.3 Savvy PT practices are moving to avail themselves of these exceptions and speaking up about the reduction of telehealth billing.

On-Demand Webinar: Building a Successful Telehealth Program for Outpatient Rehab Therapy

Solutions to Support Your Success

2021 will be an eventful year that’s sure to be full of new beginnings. With knowledge, preparation, and the right tools, rehab therapy clinics will be ready for whatever it brings.

Net Health is committed to staying on top of reimbursement changes and to help rehab therapy clinics anticipate and adjust accordingly. In the meantime, check out our growing Resource Hub to gain new insights, learn best practices, and stay up to date with changes that affect your clinic.

Our Net Heath Therapy (ReDoc®) for Private Practice and Hospital Outpatient EHR software solutions integrate billing and compliance so managers and therapists can stay agile and prepared for the future.

References:

1Public Health Emergency, Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists, Oct. 2, 2020

2Medicare Program; CY 2021 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment Policies

3Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Proposed Policy, Payment, and Quality Provisions Changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for Calendar Year 2021,” August 3, 2020.

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