Asynchronous Telemedicine: Medicare’s Inevitable Acceptance

The practice of diagnosis and treatment of patients remotely by way of a telecommunications technology, also known as telemedicine, has gained popularity as companies who provide this type of healthcare have recently worked to make a name for themselves. Services such as CareClix, ConsultADoctor, and Teladoc are just a few of these providers who utilize telehealth as their primary healthcare service.

Telemedicine can be divided into two general categories: synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous programs are those that occur in real-time, generally through a video conference or other similar means of communication between a patient and a medical provider. Asynchronous telemedicine, or “store and forward”, refers to the patient’s ability to gather all relevant information and communicate it to a medical provider over a delayed time period. The information is sent via secure email or other form of messaging service.

Beginning January 1, 2019 Medicare will be accepting certain medical services that fall under the classification of asynchronous telemedicine. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule for the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule, which included a new code entitled “Remote Evaluation of Pre-Recorded Patient Information” (HCPCS code G2010). A list of the telehealth services that are currently covered by CMS can be found here.

It is likely covered telehealth codes will evolve as technology continues to grow and change the way medical services are provided to the public. This and other telehealth developments are likely to improve patient access to care.