2024 Telehealth Outlook: Federal Policies and State-Level Shifts

With the stress of high turnover and burnout still echoing through the corridors, telehealth has stepped up as a beacon of hope, offering a practical and far-reaching solution to modern healthcare challenges. Yet, it's not without its share of legal hurdles.

In this edition, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current telehealth policy landscape across the United States.

Federal Telehealth Policy: A Look at What's Next

With 2023 behind us, it seems 2024 won’t bring drastic changes at the federal level. Although the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) has ended, the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act and the CMS 2024 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) have kept most of the Medicare telehealth policy enhancements active until the end of 2024.

The big question: Will these extensions become permanent? Or will we revert to pre-2024 policies?

Unless new decisions are made by January 1, 2025, expect these to snap back into place:

• Medicare reimbursement for telehealth only in rural areas and specific sites.
• Medicare coverage for mental health services via telehealth, contingent on an in-person visit within six months of the first virtual visit and annually thereafter.
• Reimbursements to health centers and rural clinics will evolve, but they can continue providing mental health services remotely, including audio-only, post-January 1, 2025.

Apart from these, the broader list of Medicare telehealth services and provider eligibility introduced during the PHE, as well as audio-only non-mental health services, are expected to sunset post-2024, bringing back geographic and site-specific restrictions.

Post-PHE, privacy flexibilities are no longer in place, but the ability to prescribe controlled substances remotely without an initial in-person visit has been extended through 2024.

State Telehealth Policy: A Diverse Landscape

State telehealth policies vary widely from state to state so it is always best to look at each state directly to understand the full picture.?

• Most emergency measures have either expired or been integrated into permanent laws.

• Some states, aligning with federal extensions, have extended their emergency telehealth policies, like West Virginia’s Medicaid policies.?

• Certain states have even set specific expiration dates for particular policies. For instance, Maryland will maintain its audio-only policy until June 30, 2025.

Cross-state licensing continues to be a major focus in various states, yet there's been a noticeable dip in new legislation related to out-of-state providers over the last year. Contrarily, there's been an uptick in legislative activity concerning Medicaid and private-payer reimbursements.

Additionally, the introduction of new regulatory requirements has gained momentum. Despite a semblance of stabilization in state policies following the post-Public Health Emergency period, they are still evolving frequently, each with its unique set of nuances and variations.

Resources to Keep You Informed

• CCHP’s 2024 PFS Fact Sheet
• CCHP’s Federal Policy Website
• CMS Factsheet for Physicians and Other Clinicians CMS COVID Flexibilities
• Medicare telehealth services
• HHS/OCR Privacy and Telehealth Resources

Your Partner in Telehealth Licensure and Credentialing

As the healthcare environment continues to evolve, MedicalLicensing.com remains dedicated to supporting healthcare professionals with the latest trends in provider credentialing, state licensure, and telehealth.

We offer specialized services designed to streamline medical licensing and credentialing. In an era marked by legislative complexities and the expansion of telehealth, our expertise is a crucial resource for healthcare providers.

Partner with us to navigate the changing tides of healthcare licensure and credentialing with confidence.