2006 proposed fee schedule - American Society of Clinical Oncology

system that permits the physician at the distant site to
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examine the patient in real-time is clinically adequate for
a broad range of specialty consultations.
c. Definition of a Telehealth Originating Site
Section 418 of the MMA required the Health Resources
Services Administration (HRSA) within the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with CMS,
to conduct an evaluation of demonstration projects under
which SNFs, as defined in section 1819(a) of the Act, are
treated as originating sites for Medicare telehealth
services. The MMA also required HRSA to submit a report to
the Congress that would include recommendations on
“mechanisms to ensure that permitting a SNF to serve as an
originating site for the use of telehealth services or any
other service delivered via a telecommunications system does
not serve as a substitute for in-person visits furnished by
a physician, or for in-person visits furnished by a PA, NP
or CNS, as is otherwise required by the Secretary.” This
report is currently under development.
The MMA provides us with the authority to include a SNF
as a Medicare telehealth originating site under section
1834(m) of the Act effective January 1, 2006, if the
Secretary concludes in the report that it is advisable to do
so and that mechanisms could be established to ensure that
the use of a telecommunications system does not substitute