Medicare to Pay for Telemedicine for Nursing Home Patients

Medicare will now pay for nursing home patients to be treated by telemedicine, reducing the number of expensive trips to the hospital. The new federal rule allows nursing homes to charge a $20 facility fee for each patient using telemedicine. The new Medicare reimbursement rule takes effect in January. The change also expands telemedicine coverage to community mental health centers and renal dialysis facilities. More information is available here.

Two New Telehealth Reports Available

The California Healthcare Foundation recently released two new reports that focus on telehealth. The first, entitled Right Here Right Now: Ten Telehealth Pioneers Make It Work, that describes how ten telehealth innovators are using electronic means to make high-quality health care available remotely. They use an array of communications instruments, from ordinary telephones and televisions to broadband connections and 3G-driven iPhones. It can be downloaded here.

The second report, entitled Delivering Care Anytime, Anywhere: Telehealth Alters the Medical Ecosystem, describe examines emerging uses of telehealth and describes the market drivers and challenges that will impact its future growth. It can be downloaded here.