Posted January 25, 2023
This month home health agencies can begin voluntarily reporting the three new codes for telehealth services that were finalized as part of the CY 2023 Home Health Proposed Payment System final rule. Reporting becomes mandatory July 1, 2023.
Since there is not a payment tied to the new codes, agencies may be asking what the benefits are of voluntarily reporting. There are several:
- Agencies themselves will have a better idea of how many and what type of telehealth visits they make if they are not already collecting this data elsewhere
- Analysis of the visit data can be analyzed for utilization patterns and quality of care impact
- Agencies may be able to glean more accurate cost data
- Voluntary reporting will help to ensure seamless mandatory reporting that begins in July 2023.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to use the data to:
- analyze the characteristics of the beneficiaries utilizing services furnished remotely, and
- have a broader understanding of the social determinants that affect who benefits most from these services, including what barriers may potentially exist for certain subsets of beneficiaries.
Currently, the cost of patient-level telecommunications services are captured in an administrative line item on the cost report that includes a broad array of telecommunications costs. It is possible that the specific patient-level data on claims could be used to inform future payment changes for home health agencies.
The three new codes represent three types of telecommunications visits as follows:
- G0320 – two-way audio and video
Home health services furnished using synchronous telemedicine rendered via a real-time two-way audio and video telecommunications system
- G0321 – audio only
Home health services furnished using synchronous telemedicine rendered via telephone or other real-time interactive audio-only telecommunications system
- G0322 – remote monitoring technologies
The collection of physiologic data digitally stored and/or transmitted by the patient to the home health agency (i.e., remote patient monitoring).
The use of remote patient monitoring that spans a number of days shall be reported as a single line item reporting the beginning date of monitoring and the number of days of monitoring in the unit’s field. HHAs shall submit services furnished via telecommunications technology in line item detail and each service must be reported as a separate line under the appropriate revenue code for each discipline furnishing the service.
Home health agencies are also reminded that the use of telecommunications services must be reflected in the patient’s plan of care.
More information can be found in CMS’ Transmittal 11502/Change Request (CR) 12805.
Source: CMS and NAHC
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