During the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare providers relied on telehealth options to provide patients access to care. But, as Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Taylor Chenery discussed in a recent article for Physicians Practice, “As long as utilization of telehealth services remains high, corresponding scrutiny and government enforcement efforts will remain focused on this area.”
In the article, Taylor recommends ways that physicians and other providers can prepare for this additional scrutiny:
- Do not rely on other parties’ representations that certain practices or arrangements comply with applicable regulations and restrictions.
- Maintain clear documentation of patient engagement, which remains particularly critical with telehealth.
- Track and stay up to date on the constantly changing regulatory landscape.
- Audit, analyze, and know your own data.
- Document compliance-related measures and decisions.
The full article, “Telehealth Fraud and Abuse Enforcement Efforts Unlikely to Taper,” was published by Physicians Practice on May 27 and is available online.