CMS Faces Another Call to Expand Telehealth Coverage for Specialists
More than 30 members of Congress have sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma asking her to expand COVID-19 telehealth coverage for audiology and speech-language pathology services.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is again facing calls to expand telehealth coverage for audiology and speech-language pathology during the coronavirus pandemic.
A group of 34 members of Congress has sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma asking her to give these specialists more opportunities to use telehealth to treat patients at home, rather than requiring them to come into the clinic or doctor’s office for in-person care.
“There are a number of audiology and speech-language pathology services that can be provided under Medicare in-person that can also be provided remotely in a safe and effective manner,” the letter states. “We recommend adding to the telehealth services list audiology codes representing core diagnostic tests for identifying the type, severity, and etiology of hearing loss or the need for further vestibular testing. We also recommend adding to the telehealth services list speech-language pathology codes representing evaluation and treatment of a broader range of speech, language, cognitive, and swallowing disorders, as well as those that relate to evaluating and treating individuals who need speech-generating devices.”