COVID-19, Telehealth, and Reimbursement

Telehealth is the use of electronic information via telecommunications technologies to support and promote long-distance health care.
 Telecommunications technologies are: videoconferencing, the internet, store-and-forward imaging, streaming media, landline and wireless communications.

Healthcare providers may use audio, text messaging, or video communication technology, including videoconferencing software to provide telehealth services.

For reimbursement purposes, certain payers, including Medicare and Medicaid, may restrict the type of technologies to use, which however does not limit the scope of the HIPAA Notification of Enforcement Discretion regarding COVID-19 and remote telehealth communications.