US CMS proposes to make telehealth permanently available

The US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new proposal to make telehealth permanently available for Medicare recipients. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency relaxed regulations on the use of telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries, in order to allow them to continue to receive the healthcare that they need, while reducing the risk of exposure to the Coronavirus. 

The new rule allows home health agencies to continue using remote patient monitoring, phone calls, video conferencing, and similar technologies after the pandemic to enable Medicare patients to receive care without seeing a clinician in person, as long as the usage is outlined on the plan of care and linked to a specific goal.