The extension of the Covid-19 public health emergency (PHE) until the start of 2023 is good news for patients and healthcare enterprises. The extension means that 15 million Americans continue to enjoy Medicare coverage. In addition, hospitals and medical practices get to retain the flexibility in patient care and telehealth extended during COVID-19.
Although COVID-19 is no longer as widespread as it was, more than 300 people are still dying every day from COVID-19 (with 70% of those succumbing to the virus being in the more than 75 years of age group). Many of these deaths can be avoided by ensuring that the at-risk patients are up to date on their vaccination and by offering Paxlovid treatments once the infection occurs. The PHE extension comes as we head towards the peak of winter and the upcoming holiday season (as more people undertake travel) which offers the perfect incubation opportunity for the virus.
Medical practices and group practices will continue to play a vital role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and providing timely guidance through telehealth services and remote patient monitoring (RPM).
For medical practices offering telehealth, here are some tips to improve the telehealth experience at your medical.
In addition, you can promote your telehealth services through these ‘5 Ways to Promote Telehealth with your Patients.’ If you currently do not offer telehealth, we strongly urge you to implement telehealth services at your medical practice. Our blog post, ‘Telehealth Billing Decoded by Medical Coding Experts,’ answers questions about telemedicine implementation.
Today the role of remote patient monitoring has evolved from monitoring recovery to early detection. The rise in the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease makes RPM vital to improving the quality of life for patients. In addition, the availability of wearables technology and cloud-based RPM apps has made RPM easier to implement for medical practices.
If you’re in the market for a telehealth or RPM solution, then you must assess the level of customization required and the scalability of the technology to meet the future demands of your medical practice. If you need assistance with telehealth and RPM medical billing, we would be happy to help. Contact us for a free consultation.
