Notice: This CMS-approved document has been submitted - Philips ...

CMS-1403-FC
indicated previously, under section 1834(m)(2)(A) of the
Act, telehealth is a delivery mechanism for otherwise
payable Part B services; that is, services which would be
separately payable under Part B if “ . . . furnished
without the use of a telecommunications system” (emphasis
added). This means that distant site professional services
can qualify for separate telehealth payment only to the
extent that they are not already included within a bundled
payment to the facility that serves as the originating
site. Thus, services furnished to a SNF resident from the
distant site by a physician, physician assistant, nurse
practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified
nurse-midwife, or qualified psychologist would be
separately billable as telehealth services, as the services
of all of these practitioner types are excluded from
payment under the SNF PPS under section 1888(e)(2)(A)(ii)
of the Act. However, the services of other practitioners
such as clinical social workers (CSWs), registered
dietitians, and nutrition professionals are subject to SNF
consolidated billing when furnished to the SNF’s Part A
resident. In order to avoid duplicate payment, telehealth
services furnished by these practitioners would be
separately billable telehealth services only in those cases
872