Office of Inspector General (OIG): Telehealth Provided to Medicare Beneficiaries Complied with Medicare Requirements From March 2020 through November 2020 (audit period), Medicare Part B paid approximately $10.3 billion for Evaluation and Management (E/M) services, including telehealth services, provided to Medicare enrollees nationwide. There were concerns that the telehealth expansion increased the risk of inappropriate payments in the Medicare program. However, the OIG found that providers generally met Medicare requirements when billing for E/M services provided via telehealth and unallowable payments that were identified resulted primarily from clerical errors or the inability to access records.  

Office of Inspector General (OIG): Telehealth Provided to Medicare Beneficiaries Complied with Medicare Requirements From March 2020 through November 2020 (audit period), Medicare Part B paid approximately $10.3 billion for Evaluation and Management (E/M) services, including telehealth services, provided to Medicare enrollees nationwide. There were concerns that the telehealth expansion increased the risk of inappropriate payments in the Medicare program. However, the OIG found that providers generally met Medicare requirements when billing for E/M services provided via telehealth and unallowable payments that were identified resulted primarily from clerical errors or the inability to access records. [...]

Annals of Internal Medicine: Trends in Psychological Distress and Outpatient Mental Health Care of Adults During the COVID-19 Era Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons conducted a study, which found that the rate of those with “serious psychological distress” received outpatient mental health at a diminished rate. Several groups also had difficulty accessing telemental health care including, older individuals and those with lower incomes and less education. These patterns underscore critical challenges to extend the reach and access of telemental health services via easy-to-use and affordable service options. [...]

BMC Psychiatry: Changes in Mental Health Services in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic A shift to telecommunication technologies had a significant impact on patients and care providers’ experiences of mental health care. This review aimed to identify changes in mental health services for patients in response to the pandemic and understand the impact of the changes on patients and providers. Improvements to care access, flexibility, remote forms of care delivery and lengths of operating service hours emerged as crucial changes, which supported accessibility to mental health services, increased attendance and reduced dropouts from care. Telehealth in mental care could [...]