GAO issues report on telehealth and remote patient monitoring in Medicare

Both telehealth and remote patient monitoring may improve or maintain quality of care in Medicare, but concerns regarding payment and coverage restrictions present potential barriers to their use, according to a report released today by the Government Accountability Office. Required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, the report asked nine associations representing health care providers and patients, including the AHA, to rate the significance of certain factors that encourage or create barriers to use of telehealth and remote patient monitoring in Medicare. The report also reviews emerging payment and delivery models that could affect the potential use of telehealth and remote patient monitoring. For example, clinicians can use telehealth and, in some cases, remote patient monitoring to help meet performance criteria under MACRA’s new Merit-based Incentive Payment System.