Medicare Regulatory Changes Restore Telehealth Coverage In Some Recently Excluded Rural Areas

Starting January 1, 2014, Medicare is changing its coverage areas for telehealth services to include health professional shortage areas located in rural census tracts of urban areas as determined by the federal Office of Rural Health Policy. The new policy restores telehealth coverage to some counties affected by a 2013 change to the federal definition of rural areas in which 97 counties formerly classified as rural became part of a metropolitan service area. Medicare beneficiaries in these counties were no longer eligible to receive telehealth benefits. Going forward, Medicare will determine geographic eligibility for an originating site on an annual . . .