Many Medicare Patients Could Lose Access to Remote Monitoring Devices

Dianne Williams said she lost weight and lowered her blood pressure thanks to quarterly doctor appointments, monthly phone calls with a nurse, and a blood pressure cuff she uses at home that transmits data to her care team. “It’s good to have somebody talk to you and tell you what your progress is like. And she’s a very nice person,” Williams said of her nurse. Williams, who lives in rural Georgia, said these services — referred to as remote patient monitoring — encourage her to take her medication and inspired her to revamp her diet and exercise. But many Medicare patients, especially those in rural areas like Williams, soon may no longer be able to use devices and receive coaching from the comfort of their homes. That’s because a proposed federal rule would halt Medicare reimbursements for providers who use health technology companies to administer remote monitoring for their patients. Medicare would pay clinicians only when the service is provided by someone at the facility where they work. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ proposed rule is a response to reports on remote monitoring from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, an...