Jennifer Breuer Discusses Compensation for Telemedicine With Modern Healthcare

In “How Much Is a MyChart Message Worth? It’s Complicated,” Modern Healthcare turned to health care partner Jennifer Breuer for her commentary on health systems seeking compensation for services doctors provide via patient portals, such as Epic Systems’ MyChart.

Regarding the billing codes developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to get Medicare payments for virtual check-ins and e-visits, Breuer explained that the government and health insurers were previously concerned about fraud and overuse in telehealth.

Breuer commented on health systems charging for medical advice via MyChart, noting that because these amounts are small, payment disputes between insurers and providers are unlikely to trigger full-blown contract fights. Insurers are expected to conduct regular audits of telehealth utilization, and if providers fail to maintain documentation that indicates the medical necessity of a service, insurers will deny payment, she added.

“There’s still some trepidation among payers that do want to make sure that telemedicine is used judiciously and appropriately,” Breuer noted. “That’s the balancing act.”

The full article is available for Modern Healthcare subscribers.