Health and Humans Services has extended the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for another 90 days until July 15, 2022
This means that the telemed coverage for Medicare (which waived certain restrictions for place of service and allowed reimbursement at the same rate as in person visits) will continue as is until that date.
Practices will want to track the July date and follow it closely to determine if the PHE does end. As the PHE comes to an end, each practice will need to evaluate if telemed is still covered for their office based on originating site requirements and how coverage across state lines has changed to ensure compliance with CMS rules. In addition, when PHE ends payment for audio only telehealth will end (there is a 151-day grace period once the program is officially terminated). Offices may want to explore if reimbursement changes are still favorable for telemed visits and how commercial plans may adjust their rules to follow suit.