Billing myths in the era of telehealth

by | Coronavirus - COVID-19, Mythbusters

telehealth_billing myths

Myth 1. Doctors can only bill a patient for telehealth if they’ve been seen in the last 12 months

Not true. As a result of COVID-19, this currently does not apply and a number of new temporary MBS telehealth services have been temporarily introduced until September 2020. However, it is unclear what arrangements will be in place in the future.

Myth 2. If you do a telehealth consult you can’t bill for a face to face the same day

Not true. A doctor can see a patient twice in the same day as long as there is a gap between each consultation. At the time of billing, the practice staff member should note the time for each consultation in the billing for Medicare’s reference.