Physicians and other practitioners who provided evaluation and management (E/M) services via telehealth during the first nine months of the COVID-19 public health emergency generally complied with Medicare requirements, according to a report released recently by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.

The audit covered $1.4 billion in Medicare Part B payments for more than 19 million E/M telehealth services billed between March and November 2020 as part of the agency’s ongoing review of telehealth expansion and program integrity risk during the PHE. It found that providers complied with Medicare requirements for 105 of the 110 randomly sampled services. For the five sampled services that did not comply with documentation requirements, Medicare paid $446.

OIG said the report “does not have recommendations because providers generally met Medicare requirements when billing for E/M services provided via telehealth and unallowable payments we identified resulted primarily from clerical errors or the inability to access records.” 

Related News Articles

Headline
The federal government shutdown will continue as the Senate Oct. 3 failed to adopt a government funding deal. The latest attempt to pass the House-passed…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Sept. 30 issued a memo, through the Health Plan Management system, finalizing the Medicare Advantage…
Headline
The federal government shut down Oct. 1 following a failed Senate vote on the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government by midnight Sept. 30.…
Headline
The AHA Sept. 29 sent recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help ensure…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Sept. 26 that average premiums for Medicare Advantage and Part D would decline slightly in 2026.…
Headline
The AHA expressed support Sept. 22 to House and Senate sponsors of the Medicare Advantage Prompt Pay Act (H.R. 5454/S. 2879), legislation that would apply a…