CMS Finalizes Telehealth & ESRD Changes For Medicare Advantage

On May 22, 2020, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its proposals for Medicare Advantage related to increasing access to telehealth. CMS also finalized requirements to expand access to Medicare Advantage for beneficiaries diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). CMS finalized its proposal to phase out Medicare Advantage dual eligible special needs plan (D-SNP) look-alikes.

Plans will be able count telehealth clinical professionals in certain specialty areas (such as Dermatology, Psychiatry, Cardiology, Ophthalmology, Nephrology, Primary Care, Gynecology, Endocrinology, and Infectious Diseases) towards meeting CMS network adequacy standards. The goal is to encourage plans . . .