INTRODUCTION
Telemedicine, defined as “the application of information and communication technologies
for providing healthcare services at a distance without the need for direct contact
with the patient,” was initially conceived as an opportunity for practices to reach
more patients (1). Since the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, telemedicine
has become a lifeline to practices seeking to maintain patient access to care and
financial viability (2). Quite simply, telemedicine is “crossing the chasm” between
being an interesting but rarely used technology to being essential (3,4). Physicians
have at least the following 2 important questions: Should I keep telemedicine long
term in my practice? What issues should I consider?
We outline important considerations on telemedicine, including licensing requirements,
malpractice coverage, choice of platform, and reimbursement. This study not only serves
to provide a roadmap for sustainable integration of telemedicine into gastroenterology
(GI) practices and other specialties but also provides information on more acute issues
surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
TELEMEDICINE IN CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Traditional healthcare is expensive for patients in several following ways that we
rarely consider: transportation to-and-from visits, childcare expenses, lost time
from work, and others (5). Telemedicine is especially useful to patients with chronic
gastrointestinal conditions who typically require frequent visits. A recent randomized
clinical trial enrolling patients with inflammatory bowel disease over a period of
1 year found that active patient monitoring over nurse-led telemedicine resulted in
noninferior care and fewer hospitalizations, compared with standard in-person care
alone (6). In hepatology, the Specialty Access Network‐Extension of Community Healthcare
Outcome program administered by the Veterans Health Administration suggested improved
mortality among patients with liver disease by linking primary care providers directly
with specialists remotely, compared with standard in-person care alone (7).
Learning the language of telemedicine and identifying the “key people in the room.”
We outline important terminologies for physicians and other providers to understand
the language of telemedicine and identify several key resources and stakeholders to
help physicians stay up to date (Table 1). Frequently encountered terminologies include
originating vs distant site, synchronous vs asynchronous care, and parity laws.
Table 1.
Key terminology, concepts, and important resources to learn the language of telemedicine
PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO USE
Does my medical license allow me to provide telemedicine?
In most states, the full professional medical license usually covers the ability to
perform telemedicine visits with patients residing in your state. However, physicians
may need to obtain a license in a neighboring state to see patients who are physically
located in a neighboring state (see the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact [link:
https://www.imlcc.org/] for expedited licensing). Many states now participate in interstate
licensing for telemedicine, allowing expedited applications for licensure (8).
Does my malpractice coverage include telemedicine?
Malpractice coverage varies among insurance carriers; some carriers include this coverage,
but others may need for you to add a rider or premium.
Will I be reimbursed?
The easiest way to work through your practice's reimbursement strategy is to break
down your payer mix into the following 3 broad groups: Medicare, Medicaid, and commercially
insured. Specific to traditional Medicare, coverage historically did not include the
patient's home as an originating site and restricted telemedicine only to patients
in a designated rural area, with the origin of telemedicine services at a clinic,
hospital, or certain other type of medical facility (9). During the COVID-19 pandemic,
Medicare dropped the originating site requirement enabling patients to receive care
from home. Medicare advantage plans have traditionally offered more telemedicine reimbursement
options than traditional Medicare, and some have no originating site requirement (10).
It is important to recognize that Medicaid plans are federally funded but state administered;
thus, coverage varies by state. Fortunately, an increasing number of states are dropping
originating site requirements.
For commercial insurance, there is significant heterogeneity in coverage, both between
and within states. State-specific parity laws ensure commercial insurance coverage
for telemedicine services; however, providers should directly contact private payers
to assess for restrictions and payment rates.
How common are technology problems for patients?
Availability of appropriate internet services and technological competence play a
key role on the patient side. Especially in rural areas, internet access and speed
may be a limiting factor. Similarly, some persons lack technological competence and
are not able to use virtual communication platforms. Patients should be asked about
such limitations before initiating a virtual encounter and to see whether there are
any correctable actions that can be taken.
Is telemedicine appropriate for every patient?
Although COVID19 with its constraints forces us to defer face-to-face visits, virtual
encounters have their limitations. As providers start offering telemedicine, they
should consider the most appropriate target group(s) for such mediated encounters,
start with them, and expand, as they gain experience and confidence.
Are there any special health information privacy concerns?
Privacy concerns matter, even if we are temporarily allowed to use less secure lines.
Providers should be in closed rooms and should ask patients to use a location that
does not allow others to overhear the conversation.
HOW DO I BILL AND CODE?
Although obvious, a physical examination is not required to bill successfully for
telemedicine visits. However, you still need to meet the appropriate time-based (counseling)
or evaluation- and management-based (complexity) requirements for billing as you already
do in the office (11). It is also important to check local payer-specific requirements
that may deny reimbursement for initial consults (new patient visits) using telemedicine.
For example, before the COVID pandemic, traditional Medicare did not reimburse for
new patient visits provided by telemedicine. Table 2 outlines the applicable Computerized
Procedural Terminology billing codes for your standard telemedicine new and established
patient visits across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers (Table 3 for review
of commonly used modifiers; pay attention to your individual payer requirements).
Table 2.
Billing codes for new and established patient telemedicine visits are typically billed
on time (at least 50% of which is spent in counseling)
Table 3.
Important considerations for practice managers on telemedicine billing
Several other reimbursement mechanisms exist for ancillary telemedicine services you
might consider, although coverage varies significantly among insurers. These mechanisms
include G2012 and G2010 (virtual check-ins), 99421 to 99423 (e-visits), and 99358/99358
(prolonged non–face-to-face care). Table 3 adds important details for your practice
manager to consider in designing your reimbursement strategy. The American College
of Physicians provides a living document of telemedicine coding during the COVID pandemic
(Link: https://www.acponline.org/practice-resources/covid-19-practice-management-resources/telehealth-coding-and-billing-during-covid-19).
CHOOSING A TELEMEDICINE PLATFORM
A variety of options are available for telemedicine services: see Table 4 for modalities
that have been used by leaders of the ACG (American College of Gastroenterology) Practice
Management Committee. Some electronic health record systems have embedded telemedicine
platforms allowing for direct patient videoconferencing. Specific platforms devoted
to telemedicine are also available. For example, Doxy.me is a telemedicine platform
that provides services that span different provider types. Such platforms may allow
providers in smaller practices access to telemedicine services they may not otherwise
have had outside of tertiary care settings.
Table 4.
Common telemedicine platforms for delivering gastroenterology care
Recently, some platforms have evolved into a “virtual care model,” in which audiovisual
communication between patients and providers is supplemented with a variety of other
services. For example, a platform specific to GI providers supported by the American
College of Gastroenterology (GI OnDEMAND) complements telemedicine services with disease
specific educational materials and an online support community. There may be opportunities
to integrate nutritional, psychological, and other services that may not always be
available in traditional outpatient practice settings.
Whichever modality is chosen, the potential to depart from a set in-office schedule
can allow providers more autonomy and flexibility regarding when they provide patient
care. This can be potentially helpful to mitigate provider “burnout” (12).
Know and test your technology. Compared with phone calls, the visual connection may
add to the value of an encounter by keeping communication partners engaged and by
integrating nonverbal cues. In this context, providers should keep in mind that the
‘face value’ of the visual link may require facing the camera rather than the monitor.
CHANGES IN TELEMEDICINE POLICIES DURING COVID-19
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and an increasing number of state governors
and medical boards reduced the burden on multistate licensing requirements for out-of-state
providers and increased reimbursement and recognition for telemedicine services across
insurance carriers. The Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Health and Human
Services has stated that it will “not impose penalties for noncompliance with the
Health Information Portability and Accountability Act Rules in connection with the
good faith provision of telemedicine using such nonpublic facing audio or video communication
products during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency” (13). Many of these
reductions are tied to the ongoing state of emergency and may be temporary; thus,
practices should start to “think long term” as they plan for continued telemedicine
post-COVID.
CONCLUSIONS
We provided a roadmap for gastroenterologists and other specialists to understand
the language of telemedicine. We also outlined particular considerations toward implementing
telemedicine in practice. The ACG Practice Management Toolbox (link: http://webfiles.gi.org/docs/Toolbox/Essential_Guide_to_Telemedicine_in_Clinical_Practice.pdf)
is a useful resource containing additional considerations including consent, practice
policies, and scheduling processes in this rapidly expanding area of clinical care
(14).
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Guarantor of this article: Eric D. Shah, MD, MBA.
Specific author contributions: All authors were involved in study concept and design.
E.D.S. authored the initial draft of the manuscript, and all authors critically revised
the manuscript and approved the final copy.
Financial support: E.D.S. is supported by the AGA Research Foundation's 2019 American
Gastroenterological Association-Shire Research Scholar Award in Functional GI and
Motility Disorders.
Potential competing interests: J.J.K. is the chief medical officer of Gastro Girl
and Director of Clinical Operations of GI OnDEMAND. GI OnDEMAND is a joint venture
between the American College of Gastroenterology and Gastro Girl. S.T.A. is a consultant
for GI OnDEMAND. E.D.S. has no disclosures.