COVID-19
Telemedicine
En Español | If you have private insurance, then they should be able to tell you which Telemedicine option they provide.
Medicare and Medicaid recipients can utilize Telemedicine and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are expanding the Telehealth benefits on a temporary basis due to the coronavirus.
Telehealth services include office, hospital, and other visits; mental health counseling, and preventive health screening.
Main Telehealth Services
Medicare Telehealth Visits:
Are considered same as in-person visits.
They require audio and video real-time communication.
Medicare coinsurance and deductible will apply to these services.
Billing Codes used are:
99201-99215 Office or another outpatient visit.
G0425-G0427 Telehealth consultations, emergency department or initial inpatient consultation.
G0406-G0408 Follow-up inpatient Telehealth consultations for patients in hospitals or Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF).
Virtual Check-ins:
Medicare patients in their home may have a brief (5-10 minutes) communication with healthcare providers via telephone, email, text message, and video and/or audio services (HCPCS billing code G2012), and captured images (HCPCS billing code G2010).
This communication refers to patients with an existing relationship with their doctors and that it is not related to a medical condition within the previous 7 days, and does not lead to a medical visit in the next 24 hours.
Medicare coinsurance and deductible will apply to these services. Standard Part B cost sharing applies to both.
E-Visits:
Are performed in all types of locations including the patient’s home.
Medicare patients can have non-face-to-face patient-initiated communications with their provider through online patient portals. Communication can occur over a 7-day period.
The billing office must have an established relationship with the patient.
Medicare coinsurance and deductible will apply to these services.
Clinicians such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, clinical psychologists can also provide these e-visits.
Billing codes used by physicians and nurse practitioners are:
99421 for 5-10 minutes.
99422 for 11-20 minutes.
99423 for 21 minutes or more.
The codes used by clinicians are:
G2061 for 5-10 minutes.
G2062 for 11-20 minutes.
G2063 for 21 minutes or more.
Best Practices
Before the call prepare the following information which most likely will be requiered:
Insurance details.
Credit card information.
Description of symptoms.
Relevant medical history, including any recent test results.
List of all medications that you are currently taking, including over the counter, vitamins, herbs, and supplements.
Your pharmacy address and phone number.
Your primary’s doctors name and contact information.
RESOURCES
The following sites offer medical review by phone or video conference.
HIPAA complaint.