Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software have transformed the way Telemedicine used to treat its patients and are now looking towards defining the future of the healthcare industry. Telemedicine EMR Software create efficiency in the patient-provider interaction and have also proven to be a highly cost-effective method of dealing with Patient Scheduling, Appointment Reminders, e-Prescribing (e-Rx), or Revenue Cycle Management (RCM).
Not only this, but there are a number of other benefits for practitioners using Electronic Health Records (EHR) Software for Telemedicine. One of the biggest advantages includes quicker reimbursements. Reimbursements act as an incentive on the part of the US Government introduced for the encouragement of medical practices into using Telemedicine.
Some of the ways through which medical practices using Telemedicine EHR Software can get reimbursed are discussed below.
Medicare Program
The Government is encouraging the usage of Telemedicine and EMR Software by providing incentives in the form of reimbursements which are similar to face to face visits. More and more eligibility codes are being added each year by the CMS. Some of the conditions attached to the eligibility for Medicare Reimbursement program according to an article by prognoCIS include;
- The interaction of the patients with their physicians must be via audio-video access and should be taking place in real time.
- The healthcare professional responsible for delivering the care must be holding one of the specified roles of Physician, Assistant Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Registered Dietitian, Nutrition Professional, Clinical Psychologist, or Clinical Social Worker.
- The patient under treatment should be located in any one of the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).
Medicaid Program
This is also a reimbursement program funded by the Government. This is a state-specific incentive program for Telemedicine practices. It is currently available in 48 states and allows greater flexibility than the Medicare program. Practices are allowed to request reimbursements for various Telehealth Services offered to the patients including live video calls, training sessions, educational programs, and substance treatments, etc.
Private Insurers
The third way for getting reimbursed for Telemedicine and the use of EHR Systems is through commercial payers. Although these private insurers have to abide by state laws, yet some of them can be more selective about their reimbursements than others. Medical Billing needs to be carried out in a systematic manner and you need to verify in advance if the patient’s insurance plan offers reimbursement for Telemedicine or not.
Top 5 Telemedicine EMR Software by EMR Systems
To help out the users of EMRSystems, we present you a list of the best Telemedicine EHR Software to help you make the purchasing decision.