Telehealth Education Program from U.S. Rehab Now Available

Published in Complex Rehab on October 11, 2022

Telehealth By Dan Fedor, Director, Reimbursement and Education, U.S. Rehab

U.S. Rehab's Telehealth Education Program (TEP) is now available for purchase. This program provides the background of telehealth, ensuring compliance, when telehealth is appropriate, and how to accomplish the documentation requirements virtually.

The telehealth education program is made up of six video modules related to the application of telehealth for wheelchairs. In addition to a general overview of telehealth and compliance with telehealth, the modules will take you through considerations of telehealth with the various required documents for complex wheelchairs (face-to-face, LCMP wheelchair evaluation, ATP assessment, home assessment, etc.).

Telehealth is nothing new, as it has been an available option for many years. The options were limited to beneficiaries in a rural area and could only be performed at the originating site. That meant the beneficiary had to travel to one of these sites for the virtual encounter as it could not be performed while the beneficiary was in their home. This all changed when the public health emergency (PHE) was declared in 2020.

Due to the PHE, various waivers eliminated the requirement for an in-person face-to-face exam along with all other live contacts with Medicare beneficiaries.

The question is, when is telehealth appropriate and when should it be considered as opposed to an in-person visit? The easy answer is to use the telehealth option when best outcomes can be achieved based on the specific circumstance that is presented. It should not be "all or nothing," as each situation is different. While telehealth may be appropriate for some, it may not be for others. We want to avoid telehealth mills and only use it when appropriate to ensure we don’t lose it.

Remember that even when telehealth and virtual visits are used for mobility products, all coverage criteria must still be met as those have not changed. The only thing that changed as a result of the PHE is the virtual telehealth option. If the requirements per policy can't be met virtually, then virtual is not an option.

The new Telehealth Education Program will help deepen your understanding of when telehealth is appropriate. Purchase the program today! Discounts are available for U.S. Rehab and VGM members. For more information or to purchase the education, visit https://learn.usrehab.com/tep100-telehealth-education-program. Contact U.S. Rehab at 800-987-7342 prior to purchase for the discount code.

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