Telehealth, hospital-at-home services and reimbursement disrupted by government shutdown
While Medicare and Medicaid will continue operating throughout the current government shutdown, the health care sector could feel uncertainty in other ways as some programs will not be renewed at this time. Here’s what’s happening.
Telehealth coverage reverts to pre-pandemic rules
Under the shutdown, telehealth coverage for Medicare beneficiaries has reverted to pre-pandemic rules, which limits telehealth access to patients in rural areas. Audio-only visits are no longer reimbursed. Medicare patients who relied on telehealth or mental health services, post-hospital follow-ups and chronic pain management may be impacted by this change in coverage.
Hospital-at-home services coverage paused
The Acute Care Hospital at Home program enables hospitals to deliver hospital-level care to eligible patients in the comfort of their own homes. Following the shutdown, however, funding for hospital-at-home services has been paused. Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries receiving such care will be discharged or relocated to traditional hospital settings, which could create an increased burden to inpatient facilities.
What does it mean?
Providers face a critical decision to either choose whether to halt these services mentioned above or continue providing care with the risk of not being reimbursed unless Congress retroactively authorizes reimbursement if the program is ultimately extended. These providers must also inform patients that they may be responsible for additional costs, in the meantime, without this funding from federal programs.
Learn more about what’s happening in health care in our industry outlook.
