The West Virginia Board of Medicine and the West Virginia State Medical Association applauded a bipartisan effort led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) to bolster federal audio-only telehealth reimbursements during the current pandemic.
Sen. Capito and her colleague U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) led 37 senators in writing an April 29 letter requesting that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) increase telephone-based telehealth reimbursements to equal other audio-visual and in-person visitation reimbursements.
“The West Virginia Board of Medicine recognizes that the citizens of West Virginia are among the most vulnerable in relation to the COVID-19 virus. Therefore, any temporary modifications that will allow for increased patient access, via telemedicine, to qualified providers during these unprecedented times is crucially important,” said board president Kishore Challa. “We appreciate Senators Manchin and Capito and their commitment and leadership during this pandemic.”
Danny Scalise, executive director of the West Virginia State Medical Association, also thanked Sen. Capito and her colleagues for leading the charge to ensure its members are properly reimbursed for their audio-only telehealth consultations.
“We are proud to care for our fellow West Virginians and we understand that many do not have access to broadband, making it difficult to use visual telehealth options and because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of our patients are unable to visit us in-person,” Scalise said. “That is why it is essential our providers are reimbursed equally for their audio-only consultations so they can continue to run their offices and provide care to West Virginians throughout this pandemic.”
In their letter, Sen. Capito and the lawmakers expressed concerns to HHS Secretary Alex Azar II and CMS Administrator Seema Verma regarding Medicare’s coverage and payment rules during COVID-19.
“In order to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries in all regions of the country can have access to health care services during this time, we strongly urge you to address Medicare payment differences that exist between audio-visual telehealth services and audio-only medical consultations,” they wrote.