Is There a Challenge Getting Reimbursed for Telemedicine by Medicare?

Is There a Challenge Getting Reimbursed for Telemedicine by Medicare? (0:37)

Whether a patient is located in an urban or rural environment often affects Medicare reimbursement. Karen Rheuban, MD, director of UVA's Center for Telehealth, talks in this video about how the issue is being addressed currently.

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That's true for a medicare beneficiary who is in an urban area, and the definition of urban versus rural doesn't totally align with the distribution of Specialty Care Providers, we have communities in [xx], Virginia that have perhaps in an entire county one or two medical practices and no hospital and yet they're considered an urban area by federal designation because of their proximity to a city in another state.

We face some significant challenges but the American Telemedicine Association has been very proactive in working on these issues but we still have a ways to go.

Karen Rheuban, MD

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About Karen Rheuban, MD

Karen Rheuban, MD, is professor of pediatrics and medical director of the University of Virginia Office of Telemedicine. She explains how telemedicine, also called telehealth, benefits healthcare providers and patients.

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Is There a Challenge Getting Reimbursed for Telemedicine by Medicare?