OIG announced that they reviewed 100 telehealth claims performed in 2014 and 2015. Of the claims they found that 31 did not meet telehealth requirements.
The audit was spurred due to OIG finding after analyzation that over half of the professional fee claims for telehealth services paid by Medicare did not have matching originating site fee claims.
While these claims were not billed during the PHE, one can’t help but wonder if this is a precursor of things to come? Many payers have started performing telehealth audits and taking money back from providers that did not meet the requirements of telehealth.
Telehealth services are subject to many restrictions.
Make sure your telehealth documentation meets all these requirements. Also make sure all distant site practitioners meet 42 C.F.R. § 410.78(b)(2) requirements.
Read the full OIG report at: https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region5/51600058.pdf
