The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the growth of remote patient monitoring (RPM). With the need for minimizing gapin care, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM) adoption surged as a viable platform. This technology enabled continuous monitoring of patients' health, enhanced care forchronic conditions, increased medication adherence, reduced emergency room utilization, reduced hospitalizations, and offered patients the convenience ofhome-based monitoring.
Government support and reimbursement incentives further propelled RPM and CCM's expansion.As a result, both emerged as a vital component of virtual care services, promising improved patient outcomes and increased healthcare accessibility post-pandemic. However, there are certain elements of RPM criteria that need some adjustments to advance greater utilization. To that end, GenieMD is highly encouraged with the proposed legislation, “Expanding Remote Monitoring Access Act”.
Providers are currently required by Medicare to collect 16 days of patient data over a 30-day period in order to bill Medicare for remote monitoring services (CPT99454), even in cases where this full duration is not medically necessary to ensure the health and safety of the patient. This can limit the use of RPM in instances where it can promote patient health and safety and where it can reduce the overall cost on the health system.
Recently, a new bi-partisan bill, Expanding Remote Monitoring Access Act (ERMAA), was introduced by a collection of U.S. representatives including, Troy Balderson(R-OH), Katie Porter (D-CA), Neal Dunn, M.D., (R-FL), and Greg Murphy, M.D.,(R-NC).
During the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) lowered the duration required to bill for remote monitoring services to only two days of data collection. With this bill, health care providers will be granted an ease of restrictions, by extending the two-day CMS billing threshold for two years, affording more seniors the benefits of remote monitoring services. These services grant healthcare providers the ability to treat patients conveniently from their homes orremote locations. Advancing RPM technologies and flexibility unlock opportunities for early detection and ongoing condition management whileu pholding the highest standards of care.
