Telemedicine and Long-Term Care: Reimbursement, Licensure, Informed Consent, Corporate Practice of Medicine

In many long-term care facilities, older adults are sent to hospitals or doctor's offices for a consultation when health issues occur that the facility staff is not able to handle. Telemedicine provides these facilities a way to identify health issues sooner and treat patients early at the facility, thereby minimizing the need for hospital admissions or readmissions.

The use of telemedicine is expanding in long-term care facilities as technology advances. However, several challenges remain, including licensure and reimbursement. Physicians and non-physician practitioners must meet the different requirements of states in which they are consulting, diagnosing or treating patients.

Reimbursement rules add another layer of complexity to telemedicine. Most state Medicaid programs cover some telemedicine services, but the rules differ widely from state to state. On Apr. 5, 2019, the CMS finalized new guidance that will allow Medicare Advantage plans to expand coverage of telehealth services.

Listen as our authoritative panel of healthcare counsel discusses the benefits of using telemedicine in the long-term care setting as well as the challenges facing providers. The program will address reimbursement, licensure, informed consent, corporate practice of medicine, and other challenging issues.

1. Telemedicine in the long-term care setting
2. Challenges facing providers when using telemedicine in long-term care
   1. Licensure
   2. Informed consent
   3. Corporate practice of medicine
   4. Coverage and reimbursement
   5. AKS and Stark
3. CMS guidance on Medicare Advantage coverage of telehealth services
4. What works and what doesn’t

The panel will review these and other relevant issues:

• What are the regulatory challenges with meeting licensing requirements in multiple states?
• What telemedicine services are covered by Medicare? By Medicaid?
• What are the regulatory hurdles for long-term care facilities and providers relating to anti-kickback and self-referral?
• What hurdles persist under corporate practice laws, and how can they be cleared?