2006 proposed fee schedule - American Society of Clinical Oncology

Group Medical Nutritional Therapy (MNT)
We believe that group counseling services have a
different interactive dynamic between the physician or
practitioner at the distant site and beneficiary at the
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originating site as compared to the current list of Medicare
telehealth services. We do not currently have other group
counseling services as telehealth services and do not
believe that group MNT falls within the first category of
requests. Category 1 requests must be similar to the
current list of Medicare telehealth services in order to be
added to the list.
For instance, office and other outpatient visits,
consultation and the current office psychiatry services
involve an individual professional encounter between the
physician or practitioner and beneficiary. Through direct
discussion with the beneficiary, the physician or
practitioner provides patient counseling regarding
diagnostic test results, recommendations for further
studies, prognosis, treatment options, and other follow-up
instructions. In this interactive dynamic, the patient is
able to ask immediate questions and the physician or
practitioner is able to discern whether the beneficiary
understands his or her responsibilities in following the
treatment plan. However, group therapy services do not