The New York State (NYS) Department of Health (DOH) has released a special edition of the Medicaid Update to announce expanded coverage of telehealth services for DOH-regulated providers and practitioners. Coverage is being extended to include:
- Additional originating and distant sites;
- Additional telehealth applications (store-and-forward technology); and
- Additional practitioner types.
The update also provides billing rules and guidelines, including CPT codes and rates, for various situations and settings. These updates are effective January 1, 2019 for Medicaid fee-for-service and March 1, 2019 for Medicaid Managed Care plans.
The Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) have separately published, and are expected to publish further, guidance on telehealth regulations, including additional guidance on specialty consultations for individuals served by OMH, OPWDD, and OASAS. SPG additionally expects further clarifications on how these rules will be aligned in interagency situations.
The Medicaid Update is available here. A summary of the update is attached.