CMS Final Rule Bolsters Telehealth, Allows ESRD Patients to Enroll in MA
CMS has finalized a set of proposals for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans that encourage MA plans to increase their telehealth benefits and give end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients the right to enroll in regular MA plans. CMS also said it is moving forward with plans to increase the impact that patient experience and access measures have on plans’ overall Star Ratings.
The finalized rule, slated for June 2 publication in the Federal Register, gives MA plans more flexibility to count telehealth providers in certain specialty areas — including dermatology, psychiatry, cardiology, ophthalmology, nephrology, primary care, gynecology, endocrinology and infectious diseases — toward meeting CMS network adequacy standards.