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New medical billing codes for non-face-to-face encounters and alternative payment models are trying to change the way Medicare reimburses for primary care, according to researchers at the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center.
The report, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, showed that CMS aims to find the right payment amount and structure to reimburse providers for treating high-cost, medically complex patients.
Care for high-cost, complex patients requires extensive care management services, which are not always billable services. A recent study revealed that primary care providers now evenly split their time between direct patient care and “desktop medicine,” such as online communications with patients, ordering tests, reviewing results, and coordinating with other staff.